The Lonely Goatherd
by charleybec
Summary: In late WWI in the naval port of Pola, The Lonely Goatherd is a seedy tavern run by the elegant Baroness. Here, Maria meets the mysterious and intriguing Captain von Trapp. An AU story that flips the original TSOM on its head. Bits of drama mixed in with some snarky humour. A little different, but please give it a chance. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This story has been a bit of a work in progress over the last year and a half since I was challenged a while ago to write something new, fresh, AU and a little snarky._

 _Set during WW1 (around 1917) in the town of Pola (now Croatia but then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire). Besides finding out that the port was one of the main naval bases in the Empire, this story has no historical context to it (please forgive me!). This is just an AU story about Maria and Georg meeting and falling in love in a slightly different way. There are no children this time (seriously, they just get in the way of all the good M and G stuff, right?!) and we have nurses, not nuns. However, most of our favourite characters (like Sister Berthe) still make an appearance and there are many aspects of the original story that are flipped, repurposed and/or intertwined into this new story._

 _It is a little different to my usual stuff, but please give it a chance… Let me know what you think! Reviews are very welcome and there is_ _ **much**_ _more still to come._

 _To the friend who I originally started writing this for and then to the other friend who has continually encouraged me to keep writing this story even when I wanted to stop writing, thank you!_

 _xxxxxxxxxxxxx_

 **The Lonely Goatherd – Chapter 1**

The door banged behind them and the three women linked arms and giggled as they left the hospital for their well-earned night off.

"Oh Maria," Sophia exclaimed. "I can't believe it's our first night off since we arrived in Pola a month ago."

"I know," replied Maria. "Between tending to the few sailors we still have in the wards after that submarine explosion several months ago and keeping the hospital clean, we've barely had time to breathe! Not to mention how Sister Berthe has been working us solidly both day and night. She's so strict. Part of me wonders whether she insists upon us kissing the floors just to make sure that we've cleaned them properly."

"Cleaning! Ha! At least you get to tend to patients. I have nothing to do _but_ clean since the rest of the sailors have been back at sea," Margaretta piped up. "And I thought I was signing up to be a nurse! So much for the adventure."

"Well, this _is_ an adventure, leaving Salzburg to come here away from everybody and everything we've ever known," said Maria with a sigh.

"You sound as though you're sorry you came," Sophia questioned her.

"Oh no, not at all," Maria clarified with a smile. "I've always longed for adventure, to do the things I never dared, and here I'm facing adventure…"

"And you're wondering why you're so scared?"

Maria shook her head and laughed. "Not scared at all! No, I'm just eager for the adventure to get going. There are so many things I want to do, places to see, people to meet…"

"…and men to fall in love with?" Margaretta giggled, her thoughts always drifting to members of the opposite sex.

"Men? No!" Maria exclaimed at once. "I'm not here to meet a man and fall in love. I was sent here to be a nurse on God's errand, to go searching for love would be wrong."

"Oh I wouldn't go _searching_ for love, but if some handsome sailor came my way, well I wouldn't say no to a little romance," Margaretta sniggered as she poked Sophia in the ribs with her elbow. Sophia laughed along with her friend while Maria just rolled her eyes at her two friend's antics and changed the subject.

"So ladies, where should we go tonight?"

"I heard the teahouse was good," Sophia said.

Maria agreed. "Alright, let's go there. Do you know where it is?" Sophia nodded and led the group of women down the main street to where the teahouse was located. But as they got there, they saw, to their dismay, the doors were closed and the lights were all out. It was clear that the teahouse was shut for the evening.

"Oh no," groaned Sophia. "It's shut. What are we going to do now?"

"Is there anything else open?" Margaretta asked hopefully. The three women scanned the main street up and down with their eyes. It was dark and deserted. "So I guess that's it," Sophia sighed in defeat. "We'll have to go back to the hospital early. And I was _so_ looking forward to our night off." Sophia wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye.

Seeing how disappointed and upset her friends were, and feeling disappointed and upset herself, Maria made a decision. "Sophia, Margaretta, our night isn't over yet. Let's go for a walk and search for another place. There must be somewhere else that's open, possibly off the main street."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Well I heard Sister Berthe telling one of the other nurses that some of the navy ships are back in port today, so obviously the sailors would have to go somewhere while they're on shore." While Margaretta seemed excited by the prospect, especially at the mention of sailors, Sophia looked uncertain. But Maria pulled both their arms and hauled them off the main street and towards the harbour.

They had only travelled around half a dozen blocks when they heard the sounds of music and loud cheering coming from nearby. Walking a little further and then around a bend, they came across a large tavern. The lights were blazing and there seemed to be a buzz of activity around the place.

Maria turned to her friends, her eyebrows raised. "Well?"

Margaretta and Sophia looked nervously at each other, then at Maria. "Err... Maria… we don't know."

"Where's your sense of adventure?" Maria asked.

"Back in Salzburg," Sophia grumbled through gritted teeth.

But before Maria could reply, the door swung open and a sailor stumbled out of the tavern and immediately vomited into the gutter next to them.

The three women looked at him in shock. Maria was the first one to recover. "Uh, better out than in, right?" She gave a nervous laugh. Margaretta and Sophia looked at Maria in horror and flinched like they were about to run back the other way, but Maria grabbed both their hands before they could move more than a step away.

Seeing the anxious looks on their faces, Maria gave her friends a reassuring smile. "I know it isn't ideal, but it'll have to do. You don't want to go back to the hospital this early do you?"

Although the two women shook their heads, they didn't appear convinced in the slightest. Maria glanced up and saw the sign hanging above the tavern door: _The Lonely Goatherd._

"Look: _The Lonely Goatherd_ ," Maria pointed to the sign. "Surely with a name like that, it can't be all bad, right?" Both Margaretta and Sophia nodded slowly in agreement as Maria added, "and I bet they even yodel in there too!" Maria laughed as she opened the door with one hand and yanked her friends inside with the other.

As soon as they were inside, they stopped up short. The smell of beer and stale whiskey was overpowering. The tavern was filled with smoke and standing on a nearby table were three men; their arms were linked as they swayed from side to side yodelling loudly.

" _O ho lay dee odl lee o, o ho lay dee odl ay, o ho lay dee odl lee o, lay dee odl lee o lay!"_

Maria sniggered and turned to her friends with a pointed look that sort of said, _"See?"_ then she pivoted back to look around the room for a spare table. The tavern was crowded so their entry into the room had gone almost unnoticed by the vast majority of sailors who were busy drinking, eating, laughing and gambling.

But as Maria's eyes scanned the room, she caught the eye of man sitting with a bunch of other men on one side of the room. Talk, dark and handsome, he had an aristocratic visage with chiseled, angular features and he appeared just several years older than herself. His expression was unreadable, yet his eyes were so intense and piercing that he made Maria instantly feel uncomfortable. It seemed strange that he seemed so solemn and serious while everyone else in the tavern was so animated and lively.

Maria tried to ignore the way the man was staring at her as she continued her search for a table. Finally she spotted one on the far side of the room and Maria dragged Margaretta and Sophia through the crowded tavern until they reached the table, all the while feeling the man's eyes following her as she crossed the room.

Tying to ignore him, Maria pulled her chair out from underneath the table and sat down. "Woo-AHHH!" she yelped as she sprang back up, feeling something spikey poking into her backside.

Margaretta and Sophia looked at Maria in alarm. There was a moment of silence as Maria eyed her chair and saw the offending item – a pinecone. "Enchanting little ritual," Sophia finally managed to cough out, still surprised at Maria's performance. "Something you, ah, learnt at the hospital?" she asked with a laugh.

"Oh, err…, I…" Maria stammered as she wildly glanced around the tavern, hoping no one else had seen her embarrassing exhibition. The only person who seemed to have seen was the dark-haired man. At once she locked her gaze with him and, amused at her performance, his lips curled upwards in a half smile.

Feeling a tad annoyed that he was laughing at her expense, Maria narrowed her eyes and turned her face away from him. She lifted her chin and mumbled her excuse to her friends, "Um, er… rheumatism." Maria quickly swept the pinecone off her seat and sat down, trying to pretend like the entire incident never happened, while the thought of _why_ a pinecone was on her seat in the first place barely entered her mind.

Moving on with their night, Margaretta beamed at Maria, obviously pleased that side of the tavern it was far quieter and a lot less smoky. After the rowdiness of the entryway, their little table had an almost pleasant atmosphere surrounding it.

"I have to say Maria," Sophia said looking around the room. "I had my doubts when you suggested this place, but it isn't so bad. It's almost uh, fun!" she giggled.

Maria agreed with her friends, however she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Turning her head slightly, she could see from her peripheral vision that the dark-haired man was still watching her very closely. But as soon as she turned her head further around to glare back at him, she discovered he was no longer paying her any attention but was in deep conversation with the man next to him.

Shaking her head and trying to dismiss the man from her mind, Maria began to chat to her friends. However a few minutes later, a waitress arrived to take their orders. As Sophia and Margaretta listened to the waitress rattle off the special's menu then order their meals, Maria's attention was taken away by the sounds of cheers and clapping somewhere behind her.

Turning her head to see what the ruckus was about, Maria saw a tall woman with platinum blond hair pilled high upon her head in barrel curls enter the tavern. With a perfect hourglass figure, lips painted bright red, high cheekbones and perfectly sculpted eyebrows, she was beautiful. But she was dressed in the most revealing, bright red glittery dress; the curve of her breasts gently spilling out of the top of her tightly fitted bodice. The sight of her made Maria's eye pop out slightly. But it also made Maria feel very aware of her own appearance: her golden hair cropped short against the nape of her neck and she was wearing the only dress she owned apart from her nurse's uniform, an ugly dark grey travel dress. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably.

Maria then watched the blond woman pass by the sailors. She stopped in front of each one, allowing them to kiss her hand, until finally she arrived at the dark-haired man. Without batting an eyelid, the woman swept herself into his lap and kissed him fully on the mouth as the rest of the sailors cheered. _They are a couple?_ Maria wondered to herself. But then a moment later, the man ushered the blond woman from his lap and gave her several playful taps on her backside before he resumed his conversation with the man next to him.

Maria felt curious. Not taking her eyes from the blond woman as she pranced about the room, Maria asked the waitress next to her, "Who _is_ that?"

The waitress turned her head to follow Maria's gaze. "That's Elsa," the waitress informed Maria. "Although she likes everyone to call her _The Baroness_ since she owns and runs this place."

Maria made an _"Oh"_ shape with her mouth before she asked, "and who is that?" Maria gestured towards the dark-haired man with her head.

"Him?" The waitress scowled. "Oh _that's_ the Captain. Probably best to stay well clear of him."

"Why?" Maria immediately wanted to know. There was something about the man that made her very apprehensive, yet she felt intrigued by him at the same time. But before the waitress could answer, she got called away by men at the next table.

"What was that about Maria?" Sophia asked once the waitress had gone.

"Oh nothing," Maria tried to shrug it off. "Just a little curious, that's all." Sophia didn't ask Maria any further questions and the three of them relaxed into easy conversation about life at the hospital, their time away from Salzburg and what they missed most about home. After a few minutes, their meals and drinks were brought out and to Maria's surprise, the food was quite delicious.

But as she ate and talked with her friends, Maria started to get the same sense as she had before that she was being watched. Looking out of the corner of her eye again, she saw the Captain was observing her once more. Feeling even more determined to ignore him, Maria tried to concentrate intently on the conversation with her two friends. She twisted her body around and placed her elbow on the table, resting her chin in the palm of her hand so that she couldn't see him, even out of the corner of her eye.

It worked for a few minutes until the sounds of a scuffle, breaking glass then a deep voice barking orders got her attention. Maria turned to see the Captain on his feet reprimanding two drunken sailors who were about to brawl. There was something about the ferocity of his tone and the fiery glares the Captain was giving his men that made Maria instantly dislike him even more. Then a moment later, Elsa, the Baroness appeared at the Captain's side. She kissed his cheek then whispered something into his ear and at once he sat back down in his seat but the look of irritation on his face remained. But then he looked right over in Maria's direction and their gazes locked. At once his irritated expression vanished to be replaced by a look of genuine curiosity as his lips curled up once again in a half-smile.

Feeling her face begin to flush slightly, Maria broke his gaze and turned back to Margaretta and Sophia. "So, where were we?" Maria asked them brightly.

Sophia didn't reply but just looked up past Maria's shoulder and bit down on her lip nervously. Feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, Maria knew someone was behind her. No, _he_ was behind her.

"Hello," Maria heard him say. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath before she turned slowly around in her seat to see the Captain standing behind her. Her breath caught in her throat. He was far more handsome close up than what he'd appeared from the other side of the room. His dark hair was thick and wavy and swept up in a sort of poof hairstyle, and for a moment Maria wondered how long he spent each day getting his hair to do that. His eyes were blue, a deep rich blue that Maria was sure that she could easily get lost in if she stared into his eyes for long enough. Yet there was a certain overpowering presence about him. He was the kind of man that could command just about anyone to do just about anything. Certainly not a man to be trifled with.

"I haven't seen you ladies here before," the Captain remarked and although he was speaking to all three of them, he kept his eyes firmly fixed solely on Maria. "And I thought I knew _all_ the women in town," he said, the words seeming to roll off his tongue effortlessly.

 _Charming,_ Maria thought, _but yet slightly arrogant._

"We're nurses at the hospital," Sophia explained before Maria could say anything.

"Ah," the Captain replied. "I see. And how long have you been here in Pola?"

"About a month," Margaretta replied, blinking her eyelids at him flirtatiously. "But it's the first opportunity we've had to explore the town since we arrived from Salzburg."

"You're from Salzburg?" the Captain asked, his eyebrows raised. Both Sophia and Margaretta nodded. "What a funny coincidence for so am I!" He flashed a charismatic smile at the three women. "Forgive me, I haven't introduced myself. Von Trapp, Captain Georg von Trapp, and you are…?"

"Uh… Margaretta and Sophia," Margaretta thrust her hand practically in the Captain's face. He shook it awkwardly before flicking his eyes back to Maria, inclining his head towards her as to inquire after her name as well. "… and this is Maria," Margaretta told the Captain on Maria's behalf.

"Maria…" he repeated, his whispered voice sounding almost musical as he said her name. The Captain picked up Maria's hand and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it. His eyes never broke contact with hers and at once Maria felt her heart begin to thump loudly in her chest. Part of her felt flattered at gaining his attention but the way his blue eyes continually seemed to pierce right through her made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Was there something you wanted?" Maria asked him innocently, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Yes, in fact," he replied softly. "I would like to buy you a drink."

"But I already have a drink," Maria exclaimed straightaway, motioning to the glass on the table in front of her. But the moment she said it, she wanted to kick herself. _Idiot, Maria! A handsome man wants to buy you a drink and that's the response you give him?_

"You can buy _me_ a drink," Margaretta piped up hopefully, but the Captain ignored her.

"Something else then?" he asked, pulling up a chair from the next table and sitting down next to Maria. "Dessert? Coffee?"

Maria felt her face start to flush again and she opened her mouth to reply. But then she remembered the fierce way the Captain had spoken to his men, and how uneasy he had been making her feel all night by the constant way he watched her, not to mention that only minutes before he was kissing and flirting with the Baroness. She's heard about men who liked to flirt with all women, irrespective of any attachments or relationships they currently had.

At once she hardened. As handsome and as charming as he appeared, there was a darkness about him that unsettled her. Furthermore, the Captain seemed like the kind of man who had a girl in every port and she _didn't_ want to be _that_ girl.

"No thank you, Captain," Maria replied coldly. "In fact, I feel it's time for my friends and me to leave." Maria began to stand up but the Captain placed a firm hand on her shoulder stopping her.

"Have I said or done something to offend you Maria?" he asked gently, once again the stare from his deep blue eyes seemed to pierce right through her.

Swiftly removing his hand from her shoulder, she stuck her chin out defiantly before speaking fiercely. "Only this: next time you approach a woman wanting to buy her something, I suggest you stop frolicking around with your Baroness friend in front of her first."

The Captain narrowed his eyes, confused for a moment before he let out a raucous laugh. "Elsa? Oh no, Maria! You've got _that_ all wrong." He laughed again.

"Have I?" Maria retorted sharply, her anger rising at the feeling of being mocked.

"Please, let me explain."

Maria got to her feet. "No, don't bother," she replied hotly as she turned to beckon Margaretta and Sophia to leave with her. "We're leaving…"

"Well, well, well," another voice suddenly interrupted. "What have we here?" Maria turned back around to see the man to which the Captain had been speaking to earlier was now standing next to them. He had a narrow moustache and bushy eyebrows while his dark hair was slicked back on his head. Smiling at them, the man had a friendly expression on his face.

"Nurses from the hospital," the Captain explained to his friend. "Margaretta, Sophia and Maria."

"Pleased to meet you all," the man remarked pleasantly, extended his hand. "Max Detweiller, at your service. Impresario, charming sponge and…."

"… my lieutenant," the Captain added with a light cough.

Max sighed. "Yes, your lieutenant. You always do like to rub my _lower_ rank in my face, don't you Georg?"

The Captain narrowed his eyes and gave a tepid laugh. "Is there something important you _actually_ wanted, Max?"

"Only to tell you the men are ready to head back to the base when you are."

Looking at Maria closely and realising she was unlikely to budge from her opinion of him at the present, the Captain nodded faintly. "Well, it seems like I'm ready right now." He gave Maria and her friends a slight nod of his head. "If you'll excuse me, ladies. Goodnight."

Maria and her friends watched Max and the Captain return to the other sailors and leave the tavern. The Captain paused at the doorway and took one last long look at Maria, and then he was gone. After he'd left, Maria gave her friends a weak smile. "Well, I suppose that is that. Shall we return to the hospital? I feel like this night has come to a close anyway."

Margaretta and Sophia reluctantly agreed, but didn't say anything further to Maria until they were outside waking back to the hospital.

"What has gotten into you, Maria?" Sophia asked. "Back there in the tavern? I don't understand. The Captain seemed utterly charming."

"Oh yes he absolutely was!" Margaretta swooned. "He could come and float my boat any day!" Margaretta whooped with a giggle. "Talk about the most handsome man I've ever laid my eyes on, and he wanted to buy _you_ a drink!" She gave Maria a friendly poke.

"Yes, but did you see the way he was kissing that Baroness only moments before he came over to talk to us?" Maria protested. "Obviously the kind of man who expects to get his way with a woman."

"You don't know that Maria…" Sophia began seriously.

"And I refuse to be yet another notch on his belt," Maria added defiantly. "And you didn't see the way he stared at me all night, did you?"

Margaretta let out a hearty chuckle. "Ooo! Maria, looks like he's got you all hot and bothered."

"Nonsense. You know I'm not here looking for love, and as far as I'm concerned, Captain von Whatever and go jump in the sea, for all I care."

"Captain von Whatever?" Margaretta sniggered. "More like Captain von Handsomepants!"

Maria let out an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes. "Well, if you like him so much, Margaretta, you can have him!"

"Oh Maria," Margaretta said to Maria with a laugh. "I'd take him gladly, but he barely even looked at me. I wouldn't be surprised if he came and sought you out again, now he knows your name and where you work."

"Well if he does," Maria grumbled under her breath as they reached the hospital. "I'll certainly tell him where to go. I'm not interested!"


	2. Chapter 2

**The Lonely Goatherd – Chapter 2**

Despite Margaretta being absolutely certain that the Captain would come and find Maria at the hospital, he did not. Maria didn't particularly mind; she was far too busy tending to the many wounded and sick sailors that had been brought into the hospital as each navy ship came back into port. Therefore, by the following week, she had practically forgotten about the handsome Captain and their ill-fated meeting at _The Lonely Goatherd_ tavern. It was only when Sister Berthe instructed her, Margaretta, Sophia and several of the other nurses to go down to the docks to help unload and transport some wounded sailors to the hospital that Maria thought of the Captain once more.

As they arrived at the dockside, Maria could see several regiments lined up and in front of them, in full Navy dress uniform complete with sword and cap, was the Captain. Although he was a distance away, Maria recognized him instantly: his aristocratic profile, his stiff and erect posture and his commanding presence.

Before Maria could move, she heard some of the other nurses whispering behind her. "Ooo! That's Captain von Trapp!" one remarked. "Don't you mean, Captain von Jackass?" Margaretta countered with a snarl.

Maria turned around surprised by the insult. "You've certainly changed your tune from last week when you were calling him Captain von Handsomepants," she remarked dryly to her friend. "What happened?"

"Haven't you heard, Maria?" Margaretta replied with an exasperated sigh. "That's what _all_ the men call him."

"Why?" Maria was curious.

"It's because of the way he treats his men," the young nurse began to explain.

"Why? Is he cruel?" Maria wanted to know.

"Hmm, not cruel as such," Margaretta clarified. "No, in fact apparently he commands one of the best run ships in the fleet. Furiously protective of his men, but his command is the strictest in the entire navy and he is fierce. The Captain refuses to let his men get up to anything while they're at sea, apart from what he commands them to do. No laughter, no music, no fun or no games, nothing except whistles, marching and drills. No wonder all his men long to come to shore just to get away from being under his watchful sight."

"How do you know all this?" Maria inquired.

"Oh, just one of his men was telling me the other day as I gave him his sponge bath," Margaretta replied with a wink. Maria rolled her eyes, knowing just how much Margaretta enjoyed her time giving sponge baths to navy sailors.

"Anyway," Margaretta continued with a voice of authority on the subject, "everyone despises him and with an attitude towards his men like that, it's no wonder the Captain doesn't have any friends, apart from Lieutenant Detweiller, that is. I think you certainly dodged a bullet, Maria when you told him _'no'_ the other night."

The other nurses agreed with a nod. Maria felt confused. While she sensed a darkness and intensity about the Captain the other night when they'd met at the tavern, she had no idea that he fostered such disharmony between his men. But when he'd spoken to her, he had seemed so charming. He certainly presented two completely different personas depending on whom he was interacting with.

While Maria was deep in thought, all the nurses were beckoned over to the ship where the injured men were being prepared for transport to the hospital.

But as the other nurses wandered off towards the ship, Maria hung back behind to watch the Captain while he led his men through their morning drill. He was blowing a whistle in time to his men marching about the dock. The march finished with a shrill blast of the whistle and the men halted in their spots and stood to attention. Then, as the Captain sharply blew different and individual whistle signals, each of his men quickly stepped forward in turn, saluted, then stepped back to return to their place in line.

Maria watched as the Captain slowly moved up and down the lines of men, shouting loudly as he correcting their line positioning and their posture, before barking orders at them. Although Maria knew it was the role of the commanding officer to drill their men and issue instructions, Maria was struck by how authoritarian and cold the Captain was, devoid of any emotion as he carried out his duty. It sent shivers down her spine and she could now see what Margaretta and the other nurses were talking about when they described the strict and harsh way the Captain commanded his men. Maria felt almost glad she had decided to have nothing further to do with him.

Not wanting to watch him anymore, Maria turned back around and quickly joined the other nurses.

Several hours later, Maria had just finished settling the last lot of new patients into the ward. Many of them had needed surgery and Sister Berthe had asked Maria to take all the surgical instruments out the operating theater to be cleaned. As Maria was carrying the large tray of instruments down the hallway to the washroom, she rounded a bend and banged headfirst into someone coming the other way. The entire tray of instruments dropped to the ground with a loud crash.

"Oh I'm so sorry," Maria began to apologise to the man she'd collided with as she dropped to her knees to pick up the fallen instruments.

"No, it was my fault entirely," the man replied. "Here, let me help you."

Maria froze. She knew that voice. Casting her eyes upwards, she found herself kneeling face-to-face with the Captain. His deep blue eyes fixed on hers and once again, the intensity of his gaze was overwhelming. For a moment Maria could barely breathe. Maria swallowed hard then flicked her eyes back down on the scattered instruments all over the floor.

"I-it's fine, Captain. I can manage," Maria stammered as she began to clean up the mess.

"No, Maria," he placed one warm hand on hers, stopping her as she grabbed a pair of forceps. "Please, I insist."

Maria nodded and got to her feet and watched silently while the Captain scrambled on his hands and knees to collect all the fallen instruments. After he'd placed them all back on the tray, he stood back up and handed the tray to her.

"Thank you, Captain," Maria said as she deposited the tray on a nearby bench.

They stood together in an awkward silence for a few seconds before the Captain spoke. "I, uh, had been hoping to bump into you again Maria," he said almost nervously. "But perhaps maybe not so literally," he added with a chuckle.

Maria gave him a hesitant smile. She wasn't quite sure what to make of him. His voice was so soft and tender, yet earlier at the dock, he sounded so fierce when he shouted orders at his men, not to mention the stories she'd heard from Margaretta about the severe way he treats his men were still fresh in her mind.

"Well I have been busy," Maria replied offhandedly. "You know, here at the hospital."

"Ah, yes of course," the Captain nodded. "I've been busy myself. Down at the docks with my men."

"I know. I saw you there this morning."

"Did you?" The Captain at once sounded very interested in that fact. Maria immediately wanted to slap one hand to her head cringing inwardly because she'd revealed to him that she'd been there that morning. "I didn't see you there," he remarked.

"I suppose I was in disguise in my nurses uniform," she replied casually.

"Indeed," he replied, eyeing her up and down. "I almost didn't recognize you out of that ugly grey dress you wore the other evening," he laughed, mocking her in jest.

Maria shrugged and laughed along with him feeling the tension between them ease. "Oh I know that dress isn't the best, but it's all I had! I would have made myself a new dress, but there wasn't time. I can make my own clothes," she declared proudly.

"Well, let's see whether I can arrange to get you some material. Today, if possible."

"Oh please don't go to any trouble, Captain," Maria begged.

"No trouble at all. In fact, it would be my pleasure," he told her. The warm, almost musical way he spoke to her was incredibly seductive and Maria found herself hanging on his every word. Feeling her face start to flush, she ducked her head and suddenly became very interested in rearranging the instruments on the tray next to her.

The Captain watched her closely then cleared his throat. "So you didn't tell me exactly what you were doing down at the docks."

"I was with the other nurses about to transport some patients back to the hospital," Maria quickly explained, flicking her eyes back to him.

"I see. You should have come and said hello."

"You, uh, looked busy," said Maria. _And incredibly frightful_ , she thought to herself, still trying to reconcile to herself how the Captain could be so different in front of his men than with her.

"I could never be too busy for you, Maria," the Captain remarked softly as he placed his hand on hers. She looked up into his eyes and there it was: that look again, that intense look that made Maria forget to breathe and feel like she was about to melt in a puddle. She didn't know why after she was so determined to have nothing to do with him that he continued to have this effect on her.

Maria's face blushed red and she tore her eyes away from his and looked down at her hands. But as she did, she caught a glint of silver from the Captain's chest out of the corner of her eye. Glancing upwards, she saw that it his long silver whistle hanging from a chain around his neck.

Remembering the way he commanded his troops with it, she frowned. "Do you always carry that thing with you?"

"What thing?" he asked puzzled until he saw what her outstretched finger was pointing to. "Oh, my whistle? Yes, I do. I run a large ship and the grounds of the docks are very extensive and I will _not_ have anyone shouting," he replied in a tone of voice that was so definitive and firm that it confirmed to Maria that the Captain was certainly not a man to be trifled with.

As she nodded slowly, he removed the chain from around his neck and held the whistle out to her. "It is quite invigorating using it and seeing my sailors marching around the docks breathing deeply. You should give it a try."

While the soft intensity of the way he spoke to her almost _compelled_ her try it out, Maria was somewhat horrified by the suggestion. She shook her head. "Oh no. Whistles are for dogs and cats and other animals and definitely not for me," she exclaimed. "It would be too, uh, humiliating."

"Hmm…" The Captain raised his eyebrows at her reply. "All right," he said casually as he replaced the whistle around his neck. "Suit yourself."

Maria wanted to kick herself in the head for just blurting out a response like that.

What was it about him that was causing her to act like a bumbling idiot? _Ugh…_ Maria inwardly winced again. She was certain he was going to make some clever retort back but he said nothing more although Maria thought she detected the faint hint of amusement behind his eyes as he tucked the whistle back into his jacket out of sight.

Instead the Captain changed the topic. "So anyway," he began, giving her such a captivating smile that it made Maria's inside do a little flip. "I'm glad to have bumped into you today Maria, because I had been hoping to try and see you again. Perhaps I could take you out this evening?"

"You want to take me out?" Maria blurted out immediately feeling surprised the Captain was still interested in her, especially since all she seemed to do was put her foot in her mouth every time he was around.

"Why, is that such an awful suggestion?" he inquired after hearing the surprise in her voice.

"W-well, I don't know…" Maria stammered. There was something exhilarating about the way he made her feel when he flirted shamelessly with her, yet she hadn't forgotten how just the other evening he'd been kissing that Baroness right in front of her. And Maria knew she had already decided not to have anything to do with him. "Look, perhaps going out with you isn't such a good idea," she told him, chewing nervously on her lip.

Hearing her decision, the Captain looked at her hard for a moment. Almost as though he could sense what was running through her mind, he said, "Maria, I know what you must be thinking. The other night, about Elsa, it's not what you think. I mean it's complicated. But there are a few things I need to explain…"

"It's fine," Maria answered abruptly, not really wanting to know about the depth of his relationship with the Baroness. "No need to explain."

"But…"

"Please. Let's just talk about something else."

His eyes flared in anger for a second. The Captain was about to make a sharp remark back, however, he stopped himself as he really wanted to clear things up with Maria and explain everything. But when he saw the look on her face, he decided that it would be simpler to drop the matter altogether. So instead, he relaxed and gave her a charismatic smile. "I hope you'll reconsider about dinner…"

Maria sighed, feeling almost weary after resisting his charms for so long. "How about I think about it?"

At once the Captain's face lit up in hope. "Please do because I am _very_ interested in you, Maria…"

Maria felt her face start to flush again as he gazed intently at her. They stood awkwardly in silence together for the next few moments look at each other, both not quite sure what to talk about next. But then they both spoke at once.

"So what are you…?"

"Do you have any…?"

They both stopped at laughed then the Captain gestured for Maria to go first. "I was just going to ask what you were doing here at the hospital." she said.

"I'm just here to visit a friend," he told her.

And Maria, remembering Margaretta's comments from earlier about how the Captain didn't have any friends and no one liked him, stupidly once again just said the first thing that popped into her head. "Oh really? Because here I was thinking you didn't have any friends!" she mocked him with a laugh.

But the Captain didn't laugh with her. He flinched at her words and at once stiffened. His playful, flirtatious demeanour disappeared and was replaced by the same coldness and fierceness she'd observed earlier that morning. It was like something had snapped inside him. Maria at once tried to back step. "I-I'm sorry Captain. I didn't mean that. Just some silly gossip I overheard."

He narrowed his eyes. "And you like to listen to gossip Maria?" he hissed coldly.

"Yes, err… I mean no! Of course not. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything…"

"No, you shouldn't have," he spat, as he got right up in her face his eyes blazing with fury. "And what else have you heard about me? That I'm fierce? That I'm strict? And that the first rule on my ship is discipline?" Trembling somewhat, Maria bit her lip and nodded faintly. "And what do _you_ think about me, Maria?"

Maria closed her eyes and shook her head; slightly terrified by the way he was speaking to her. "I-I don't know, I don't know!"

"I didn't think you would be the type of person to be so quick to judge, to make assumptions about me based on unsupported rumours and gossip, and not even giving me the courtesy of letting me explain myself," he snarled as he turned away from her. "You don't know me! You don't know the reasons behind why I do the things I do! I had hoped…" he stopped and turned back to face her, the fury from his eyes gone, replaced by a look of sadness. "I had hoped that you would be different. But obviously I was wrong."

He gave her one last long look before brushing past her and striding purposely down the hallway into one of the wards. Maria stood fixed to her spot, stunned and slightly bewildered to the Captain's sudden change in behaviour. It was clear that her comment about the Captain having no friends had hit a nerve, but at the same time, she was puzzled how such a flippant remark could have caused such an outburst from him, especially when she had said even more stupid things earlier in their conversation. The Captain was certainly a mystery.

She shook her head and was about to pick up the tray of instruments and get back to work when she heard someone down the hallway whistling. She turned to see the Captain's friend, Lieutenant Detweiller coming towards her. When he saw Maria, he stopped.

"Hello again. Maria, isn't it?" he asked.

Maria nodded. She was still shaken after the Captain's outburst and so really didn't feel like getting into a conversation. Trying to politely take her leave, she quickly wiped away the small tear that had appeared in the corner of her eye. "Excuse me, Lieutenant."

Max, seeing how distressed Maria looked, stopped her as she was about to pick up the tray of instruments again. "Maria? Are you alright?"

"No! I mean, yes, I mean…" Maria's eyes flicked in the direction that the Captain went and her puzzlement over him quickly turned to irritation. "Is he always like that?" she asked Max in exasperation.

"He?" Max asked, confused. But then he followed her gaze over to the ward where the Captain went. He took several steps over to the ward and looked in the window before returning to Maria. "You mean Georg?" Maria nodded.

Max brushed over his moustache with his index finger for a moment while he thought. "What happened?" he asked. Maria quickly recounted her conversation with the Captain to Max.

"I just cannot understand him! One moment he's flirting with me and the next, he looked like he was going to throttle me!"

Max didn't reply but took Maria's arm and led her over to one of the bench seats a little further down the hallway and they both sat down.

"Maria, what I'm about to tell you stays between us. I mean Georg would probably kill me if I told you, but I think you have a right to know considering the uh, _interest_ Georg has in you." Maria nodded slowly; feeling intrigued to what the lieutenant was going to tell her.

"You see Maria, Georg is a good man. Complicated, that's for sure, but a fine man, and a brave one. But he's also very damaged. Something happened about six months ago which almost destroyed him."

"What?" Maria asked.

"I'll tell you," Max replied. "We were serving together on a fine submarine, the _Agathe_. Oh, Georg loved that boat! He spent more time on board her than any of us! Knew her back to front. Even our commanding officer said that Georg was the resident expert of the _Agathe_. Anyway, we were serving off the Adriatic coast near Trieste and we were attacked. Our commanding officer was killed, and Georg, second on command was suddenly thrust into the commanding officer position. Retreating from the battle, we managed to recoup and plan our next move. Georg, the master strategist, saw an opportunity to get behind enemy lines to attack by stealth, but it was dangerous. Many of the men objected to Georg's plan and had plotted a mutiny lead by another officer called Zeller. Georg found out and was furious. He imprisoned the disloyal men in their cabins and decided to proceed with his plan of attack anyway. But as he tried to manoeuver the submarine around enemy lines, we were discovered. The boat was torpedoed and Georg had to make the hasty decision to stay and try to fight, or to surface and abandon ship in the hope that there would be another ship nearby to come and rescue us."

"So what did he do?" Maria asked.

"Well," Max continued. "It was clear that the _Agathe_ was failing. There was nothing Georg could do to save her. The boat was flooding fast and many men had drowned or were drowning. So, Georg put out the distress call, brought the submarine to the surface and waited. Twelve hours we waited before someone came to our rescue, but by that time, he had lost over half his men, and the half of the remainder were gravely wounded."

"Oh no…" Maria gasped.

"Georg, of course, blamed himself: if only he hadn't made that attack, if only he had made a different choice, if only his men hadn't rebelled, then none of it would have happened. Georg was certain he would be facing disciplinary action, but instead, he was decorated by the emperor for bravery and promoted to Captain. It was like a slap in the face. How could he accept the awards, accolades and promotions when he felt the weight of those sailor's deaths upon his shoulders? And what was worse was that the officer that organized the original mutiny against Georg's command, Lieutenant Zeller, was also promoted to be the Commander of the Naval base here in Pola like there were no repercussions for his actions and treachery towards Georg."

"What? How could he get away with that?" Maria was aghast.

Max shrugged. "Zeller has friends in all the right places, it seems." Maria just shook her head in disbelief and feeling desperately sorry for all the Captain had gone through.

Max continued. "So Georg asked for a leave of absence and he fell into a deep depression as he mourned the loss of the _Agathe_ and his men. Drinking himself into oblivion, he felt like he had nothing to live for anymore. And then one night I found him with a gun in his hand…"

"Oh!" Maria gasped, a tear running down her cheek.

"I stopped him of course," Max told her. "But I didn't know how to snap him out of his depression. The only person who managed to get through to him was Elsa. Somehow, she brought him out of his despair, gave him something to live for and slowly he began to recover. He has often called her 'his saviour', and he is very grateful to have her in his life."

"So they are a couple?" Maria asked.

"Elsa and Georg?" Max questioned, and then laughed out loud. "Oh god no! No, no, no, Maria. It's not like that with them at all."

"But the other night, she was all over him?"

"Well, that's just Elsa's way, you know because of her, uh, _business_."

"What? Running the tavern?" Maria questioned, feeling a little confused.

"No," Max coughed. "I mean, yes, she does run the tavern, but I was referring to her _other_ business… with the sailors."

Maria furrowed her eyebrows, trying to work out what Max was saying but then it hit her. "You mean she's a…?"

Max coughed again. "Yes, she is. As much as she earns money from running _The Lonely Goatherd_ , she needs a little extra income to keep the place afloat. But she keeps it pretty quiet, and is very selective with whom she allows into her bed."

"And the Captain?" Maria wondered, suddenly images flashed through her mind of her dark haired Captain and the blond Baroness naked and entwined together in bed.

"Oh no! Never!" Max exclaimed in horror, before he laughed heartily. "I remember Georg once saying that sleeping with Elsa would be like sleeping with his sister."

 _So if they weren't a couple, then what were they?_ Maria wondered to herself. "But I don't understand. Before when you said that she was his saviour…?"

"They're just friends, Maria. Georg has known Elsa for a long time, way before her late husband died. He even helped her set up _The Lonely Goatherd_ after his death. They know each other so well that it's only natural they would give each other support. He doesn't particularly approve of her side business, but she refuses to accept money from him, preferring to stand on her own two feet, so to speak."

Suddenly Maria felt foolish. "The other night… I thought they were together… and I was so rude to him. And even just now, he tried to explain about the Baroness, but I wouldn't let him."

Max patted her hand. "Don't be too hard on yourself, my dear. You weren't to know. They have a strange sort of relationship and Georg's a complicated man."

"You can say that again!" Maria exclaimed. "Attractive, handsome, charming, but complicated! I didn't know what to make of him when he approached me the other night."

"I must say I was surprised, but pleased nonetheless that he took an interest in you, my dear," Max remarked. "You really are quite attractive, and Georg would hardly be a man if he didn't notice you."

Maria blushed at the remark. "So this attraction is based on lust then," she concluded.

Max scratched his chin. "Hmm, no. I don't think so. Not this time. I mean Georg has always been a ladies man, that's for sure. But, if you'll excuse me for saying this, you're not really his usual type."

"Type?" Maria repeated, her eyebrows raised.

Realising he may have said too much, Max squirmed slightly in his seat. "Uh, I mean, usually Georg never _talks_ to them. He talks to you. You're different. You've tweaked his interest in such a way that I think there's more than just a physical attraction for him. A friend, a companion or possibly something more," he surmised. "And him taking a notice in you gave me hope that he is starting to rebuild his shattered life. I've never seen him look at any woman like the way he looked at you the other night."

"And I rejected him – twice! Then insulted him," Maria sighed. Max didn't reply and silence followed for the next few moments.

"So anyway, what happened then?" Maria asked, breaking the silence and changing the topic back.

"After Elsa helped Georg out of his depression?" Max asked and Maria nodded. "Well, Georg was returned to his command. A new ship and a whole new regiment of sailors, and none of them know what had happened on the _Agathe_. Apart from Commander Zeller and myself, all the sailors from the ship had either drowned, been sent back to Austria or are still in hospital here in Pola. You must understand, Maria, that when the _Agathe_ went down, Georg lost everything – the loyalty of this men, all his friends, his hope and his confidence. So Georg, terrified of repeating the past with his men rebelling on him, now runs his ship with an iron fist. Whistles, orders, marching, drills – everything is now under such a tight control trying to ensure that he never loses a battle or a man again."

"Oh I see," Maria replied quietly. Her heart went out the Captain and she felt terrible about making those assumptions about him and making silly jokes about lack of friends. No wonder he was so angry with her after all he had gone through.

She glanced down the corridor towards the ward where the Captain had gone. "So who is he visiting then?"

"One of the last men that survived the attack on the _Agathe_. He's due to be sent back to Salzburg soon. But until then, Georg tries to visit him as often as he can. It's the guilt, you know." Max then quickly glanced down at his watch. "Actually, that's where I was heading now. I'm sorry Maria, I need to go." Max stood up.

Maria stood up as well. "That's quite alright, Lieutenant Detweiller. I appreciate you telling me about the Captain. I really do feel awful about my argument with him just now."

"My pleasure, my dear. I find I can be really quite useful in delivering information, or love life advice, or even just being that person to knock some common sense back in," Max chuckled.

Maria laughed with him. "Thank you again Lieutenant."

"Please, call me Max." He held out his hand to her. "And don't worry about Georg; give him some time, he'll come around."

Maria watched as Max left and she paced up and down the hallway thinking about what Max had told her about the Captain, and waiting for him to emerge so she could talk to him. Finally the Captain left the ward. He saw her waiting for him down the end of the corridor. He narrowed his eyes and looked at her hard before he started to walk towards her.

"Captain!" Maria called out to him but he ignored her. Looking straight ahead like she wasn't even there, he strode past Maria and out of the hospital leaving her standing alone.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Lonely Goatherd – Chapter 3**

That night, Maria slept fitfully. Her conversation with the Captain the day before kept playing over and over in her mind as her sleep was plagued with bizarre dreams. From baronesses to marching sailors and blowing whistles, the thing that held all her crazy dreams together were the memory of his eyes; his deep blue eyes that sparkled with laughter before changing to be as dark and wild as the sea on a stormy day.

Maria finally awoke from her restless sleep covered in a thin layer of sweat.

All morning Maria tried to put the Captain out of her mind but as hard as she tried, she could not. Apart from the lingering thoughts of her dreams about the handsome Captain the night before, she felt terrible about foolishly misjudging him and she wondered whether there was any way she could apologise and make it up to him. She wanted to go and try and find the Captain, unfortunately Sister Berthe kept her extremely busy for the remainder of the morning and so she couldn't escape for several hours.

Then, just before lunchtime as she finished folding the last of the clean bed sheets and was putting it away in the linen cupboard, Sophia came and found her. She was carrying a large brown paper package tied up with string.

"This was just delivered for you Maria."

Maria frowned wondering two things: what could be inside the package, and more importantly, who could have sent it to her? There was no note or card on the package. Aside from the other nurses at the hospital, so didn't know a soul in town apart from the Captain, but after what had happened the day before, she really didn't think _he_ would have sent her anything.

Taking the package from Sophia, Maria quickly undid it and immediately gasped. Inside were many rolls of beautiful material. Cloths of cream, beige or dark brown, as well as patterned materials of orange and brown stripes or tiny red and green flowers imprinted on a white background. But at the bottom of the pile of material, almost hidden out of sight, was a pale blue fabric. Light and almost shimmery, it was the most exquisite material Maria had ever seen in her life.

"Oh…" she breathed as she fumbled through the package of fabric once again. "These will make the prettiest clothes I've ever had."

"But who sent it?" Sophia asked.

Maria didn't reply. She _knew_ the Captain had sent it after their conversation the previous day about how she wanted to make some new clothes for herself since the only dress she had was the ugly grey dress. But Maria didn't know _why_ he had sent it, unless he had forgiven her for her foolish remarks and sending the material was his way of holding out an olive branch.

"Perhaps you have a secret admirer?" Sophia laughed. Maria just shrugged and gave a weak smile in return. Maria rewrapped the material back in the brown paper and tucked it under her arm.

"Sophia? Would you mind covering for me for a few hours this afternoon? There's someone, err… I mean something I need to do."

"Sure, but can't it wait until tomorrow when you have your day off?"

Maria shook her head. "No, I'm afraid it can't." After thanking her friend, Maria went and placed the material in her tiny cell of a room at the back of the hospital and got changed out of her nurse's uniform. Maria sighed to herself as she redressed in the stupid, ugly, grey dress hoping it would be the very last time she'd have to wear it. Then she slipped out the back of the hospital and headed down to the docks to find the Captain.

But to her surprise, the shipping port was almost deserted. The previous day when she'd been there with the other nurses, there were many ships docked at shore. Now all the ships were gone. Only a few men wandered about the docks moving pallets of crates or sweeping up. She squirmed slightly as one man walked past her to scoop up a dead cat, which was lying in a nearby gutter.

Maria was despondent. "Oh help," she exhaled deeply as she flung her arms up on top of her head. It appeared as though the Captain and his ship had returned to sea and she didn't have any way of contacting him or knowing how long he'd be gone.

Maria was about to turn back and return to the hospital when a thought struck her. Pivoting the other way, she headed into town towards _The Lonely Goatherd._

XxXxXxXxXx

The tavern looked different during the day. There were no drunken sailors loitering about or throwing up outside, and while the tavern didn't appear to be open for business, the front door was wide open and music came from within.

Just as Maria was working out whether she should knock or just stroll on in, a barmaid came through the front door with a rag cloth in her hand and began to wipe and clean down the front windows.

Maria approached her. "Excuse me, I was wondering is the Baroness inside? I was hoping to speak to her."

"She's rehearsing," the barmaid replied, looking Maria up and down with disapproval. "What's it about?"

"Err…" Maria hesitated. "It's uh, a private matter."

The barmaid scrutinized Maria for a moment before she inclined her head towards the open doorway. "Go on, but I'm not sure she'll speak with you though."

Maria thanked the woman and made her way inside. She blinked several times as her eyes adjusted the dim light. Without the crowds of sailors and all the smoke, the tavern appeared larger than it had the other evening and for the first time Maria saw there was a small stage at the back of the room. She stood just inside the doorway out of sight and watched the spectacle being performed on the stage. There was a row of can-can girls in frilly knickers kicking up their heels and gyrating their hips as they pranced about the stage. And there in front of them was the Baroness. She was dressed in yet another red number but this one was long and sheer with a split in the skirt that went from her toes all the way to her hips. Her bosoms were pushed up so much that they were practically exploding out the top of her dress and her platinum blond hair was piled on top of her head in a torrent of spiral curls.

The Baroness sauntered seductively about the stage before stepping forward to sing in a smoky, sultry voice:

" _Girls in white dresses with blue stain sashes, snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes, silver white winters that melt into spring, these are a few of my favourite things…"_

Maria smiled to herself as she recognised the tune of _My Favourite Things_. She remembered how the Reverend Mother, who used to visit the orphanage where she'd grown up, used to sing that song every night to her and the other children to get them to go to sleep. Although she couldn't never have imagined the Reverend Mother in her black nun's habit, dancing to that song quite like how the Baroness was moving to it now! Watching the can-can girls in front of her, suddenly Maria's brain switched the can-can girls for her memory of the Reverend Mother so that her brain was now filled with the mental image of the _Mother Abbess_ prancing around in frilly knickers, still with her wimple on her head!

Finding the thought absolutely hilarious, Maria began to giggle uncontrollably. She stuffed one hand into her mouth to muffle the sound of her giggles and thankfully she managed to control her hysterical laughter just as the rehearsal was concluding.

As the song finished and the dancers froze in their final poses, Maria felt compelled to applaud. The Baroness looked up to see Maria standing by the front door. She gave her a hard look before turning back to her dancers behind her.

"Thank you girls," the Baroness gushed to her dancers. "But I think that's all the rehearsing we'll do for now." The Baroness left the stage and swept in dramatic fashion towards Maria.

"I'm sorry, we're closed my dear," she told Maria coolly.

"Yes, I know that," Maria replied cheerfully, not put off by the Baroness's icy demeanour.

The Baroness didn't reply but stared at her up and down, noting, with her lips pursed in disgust, Maria's ugly grey dress. She tutted in disapproval under her breath at Maria. "If you're looking for work, I'm afraid I don't have anything at the moment," the Baroness informed her.

"Oh no, I'm not looking for a job," Maria replied with a small laugh. "I already have one. I'm a nurse at the hospital."

The Baroness looked confused. "Well dear, how can I help you then?"

"I was just hoping to speak to you about something, uh… in private."

The Baroness just inclined her head towards one of the nearby tables, and then spun on her heel and slinked towards the table, the deliberate sway of her hips was very noticeable in her tight, red dress. Her slim, lithe figure made Maria feel very conscious about the ugly grey dress she was wearing.

Usually Maria wasn't the type of person to suffer from nerves but as she followed the Baroness to the table, she felt her normal confidence wavering. Suddenly her bold and daring idea to come to the Baroness for help finding the Captain didn't seem so brilliant anymore. She silently hummed a few lines of another song she knew, _I have confidence,_ in her head as she sat down. Unsure how to begin the conversation about the Captain, Maria decided to stall for a few moments.

"I liked your song," she commented to the Baroness, nodding her head towards the stage.

"Why, thank you," the Baroness said sweetly, her manner towards Maria warming considerably. "That song, in particular, is _very_ popular whenever there is a thunderstorm," the Baroness's eyes gleamed in wicked delight. "And I do find the men need some sort of entertainment with the war being as dreadful as it is, they need something to, ah, take their mind off what goes on out there."

Maria, remembering everything Lieutenant Detweiller had told her the day before about the Captain losing his ship and all his men at sea, felt even guiltier about her flippant remark to the Captain the day before.

"Yes, of course," she replied, biting down on her lip for a second. Trying to brush off how uncomfortable she was beginning to feel, Maria continued with a laugh. "But, I have to admit, I've never seen anyone sing that particular song just like you did. You see, I remember the Reverend Mother of Nonnberg Abbey singing that song…"

"The Reverend Mother?" the Baroness replied at once, sitting upright in her seat. "Of Nonnberg Abbey?"

"Do you know her?" asked Maria in surprise.

"No, not know her, but of her," the Baroness smiled. "I've lived some of my life in Salzburg. I believe she is a very kind and generous woman, or so I'm told."

"She is," Maria agreed.

"But how do you know her?" the Baroness asked. "Are you a nun?"

"A nun?" Maria tried her hardest not to laugh out loud. "No, not at all. I would be a terrible nun! I'm sure all I'd want to do would be to escape the Abbey to run up into the mountains to sing all day long. I'd probably wear curlers under my wimple and waltz on my way to mass and whistle on the stairs, not to mention I'd always be late to everything, except for every meal," Maria smiled. "No, I fear that if I were to ever join the Abbey, all the nuns would probably make up a song about what a problem I was then soon ship me off to be, oh I don't know, a governess for some wealthy, handsome man with seven children, or something ridiculous like that." She laughed. "No Baroness, the Reverend Mother used to visit the orphanage that I grew up in."

"So you have no family?"

Maria shook her head sadly. "No, they all died when I was young."

"I have no family either," the Baroness admitted in a quiet voice. "My husband died several years ago." Her eyes grew dark for a moment and she stared intently at a spot in the center of the table before blinking several times then looked back at Maria. "Anyway, you don't need to know any of that. You still haven't told me what you wanted to speak to me about err, err…" the Baroness squinted as she tried to recall Maria's name. Maria realized quickly that she hadn't introduced herself.

"Maria, my name is Maria."

"Maria?" the Baroness paused to think, like she was trying to remember where she'd heard the name before. She glanced down and scratched her chin before her head snapped up and she looked directly at Maria. "You're here about Georg?" she asked Maria almost accusingly.

"W-what?" Maria stammered, wondering how the Baroness knew. "Yes, I am. But how did you know?"

"He told me about you," replied the Baroness bluntly. "And you upset him very much yesterday."

"I know I did," Maria admitted softly. "But I didn't mean to. I'm far too outspoken, it's one of my worse faults. I just keep finding myself saying the first thing that pops into my head. Anything and everything I think and feel! So I was hoping to find him and apologise for what I said."

"Well, you can't," the Baroness replied matter-of-factly. "He left today."

Maria's heart sank as her worst fears were confirmed. "Yes, I figured that," sighed Maria. "I went down to the docks just now and they were deserted. Do you know when he'll be back?"

"That all depends. Last time he was at sea he was gone for a month."

"Oh I see…" Maria's voice trailed off and she absentmindedly began to twist the corner of the napkin that had been left lying on the table with her fingers.

The Baroness didn't speak but reclined back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other and draping her arm casually on the back on the chair next to her. She scrutinized Maria for a few moments. "You're quite taken with him, aren't you?"

Her question took Maria by surprise. "Perhaps," she replied, a little guarded.

The Baroness uncrossed her legs, sat up straight and pulled her chair in closer to the table. She placed her elbows on the table with her chin on her hands and leant forward. "Maria, I am terribly fond of Georg and I will not have you toying with him. He's been through a lot over this past year and the last thing he needs is having his heart broken too."

"I know!" Maria exclaimed. "Lieutenant Detweiller told me everything about what happened with the Captain and his men and his ship and I feel terrible for what I said and how I upset him yesterday. That's why it's so important that I apologise to him. I didn't know or understand what had happened to him, but now I do. I was thoughtless with what I said and I'm sorry."

The Baroness studied the look of desperation on Maria's face, the pleading in her eyes and faint blush on her cheeks. "Are you in love with him?" she asked her.

The Baroness's direct manor shook Maria. "I don't know… I don't know!" She stood up and pushed the chair back away from the table. "How can I even make that sort of judgment when I barely know him? Yet there have been times that we would look at each other… Oh I could hardly breathe! Baroness, there _is_ something about him that intrigues me yet unsettles me at the same time. I just don't understand him. He is a complete mystery."

"Yes, he's no ordinary man," the Baroness agreed. There was an awkward silence as Maria didn't quite know what to say next. Then the Baroness stood up as well and faced her across the table.

"Look Maria, you seem like a nice girl and I can tell that you care about Georg. But I can't help you in this matter. Georg is a very determined and stubborn man. He has built high walls around himself to protect himself after the awful disaster of the _Agathe_ and I don't think he's going to let those down easily."

"But…" Maria began to protest but the Baroness put one hand up to stop her.

"But I value the effort you are making to try and make things right between you both. However, I can't guarantee that Georg would even wish to speak to you once he is back in town, but I will let you know when he gets back. The rest is up to him."

Maria nodded slowly then extended her hand to the woman. "Thank you Baroness, I appreciate that."

The Baroness shook Maria's hand and smiled in return. "Please, call me Elsa. I have a feeling we are going to be seeing a lot of each other in the future."

 ** _A/N: Thanks everyone for your reviews. Please let me know what you think of how the story is progressing!_**


	4. Chapter 4

**The Lonely Goatherd – Chapter 4**

Several weeks past and still the Captain had not returned. Everyday as different naval ships returned to Pola, Maria would keep a look out for the handsome Captain as the sailors poured onto shore but yet he remained out at sea.

On one hand, time seemed to drag on as she waited for him to return, but on the other hand, she was quite busy with the many wounded sailors the flooded into the hospital and so the weeks flew by quickly. She didn't have much spare time and any free time she did have, she spent making new clothes out of the material the Captain had sent her. Thankfully she was able to discard the ugly grey dress now that she had several new beautiful dresses to wear.

On the rare occasion that she did have an afternoon free, Maria found herself spending more and more time with the Baroness. She'd been surprised one day shortly after her visit to _The Lonely Goatherd_ to find Elsa waiting for her outside the hospital. The woman asked Maria back to the tavern for an early dinner before the evening rush of sailors to the bar and Maria was astonished to find how well she got on with her. It seemed like Maria and Elsa had found a sort of kindred spirit in each other and Elsa admitted to Maria, more than once, how much she enjoyed Maria's company. And the more time Maria spent with Elsa, the more she learnt about the Captain. A story here, a small bit of information there – little by little Maria was gaining a bigger picture of the man who haunted her dreams. And Maria wasn't sure, although she suspected, that Elsa, in her own little way, was trying to play matchmaker between Maria and the Captain. Maria didn't quite know how she felt about the Captain. In many ways, Maria was incredibly attracted to him, and yet there was something intense and foreboding about the Captain that still made her unsure. She wanted him to come back, not only so she could apologise to him, but also to work out how she felt about him and to find out whether he reciprocated her feelings as well.

But still he didn't return and the weeks turned into months before one day, Maria was sent word from Elsa that the Captain's ship had docked back in Pola that afternoon. Elsa asked Maria to come to _The Lonely Goatherd_ that night as she knew the Captain would be there. It took some quick talking and negotiating, but finally Maria was able to persuade Sister Berthe to give her the night off. Somehow, probably because they didn't want to miss out on the excitement, Margaretta and Sophia arranged to have the night off as well so all three ladies left the hospital to head for _The Lonely Goatherd._

"Finally! Another night off, and now we're out for some fun," exclaimed Margaretta with a giggle.

"What do you mean? Another night off?" Sophia scoffed. "You've been sneaking out almost every night to meet up with sailors since we've been here!"

"Yes, but _this_ time I have permission to go," Margaretta replied in exasperation rolling her eyes. "But, you know, I do blame Maria for all my night-time escapades."

"Me?" Maria was surprised.

"Yes, it all started when you took us to _the Lonely Goatherd_ those months ago. I never knew there were so many handsome men in the navy. And fun, oh yes, sailors are fun, very fun." Margaretta battered her eyelids and gave the two women a wicked smirk.

"Fun? Oh no, Margaretta… you haven't been…?" Sophia spluttered.

"What?" Margaretta questioned, narrowing her eyes somewhat. "Oh NO!" she replied instantly the moment she worked out what Sophia was getting at. "No, of course not. I'm not one of _those_ kinds of women. I'm not that foolish to allow one of those sailors into my bed. A few dances, some drinks and a kiss or two goodnight, and that's it."

"Well, that's a relief," exhaled Maria. "I wouldn't want you to get into any trouble. You remember the home for unwed mothers back in Salzburg? It wasn't a nice place to be. At least the Reverend Mother and the other nuns from Nonnberg Abbey used to help out those women and their babies."

"Don't worry Maria. You can trust me to keep out of trouble. I'm here for a good time, not to throw my life away by sleeping with a sailor who may never return from his next mission at sea."

"So you don't have anyone special at the moment?" Sophia asked Margaretta.

The woman shook her head. "No, it's too hard to choose anyway," she laughed. "I just love them all!" Margaretta threw her hands up in the air in a wide arc. "But Sophia, I can try and set you up with one of them, if you like." Sophia blushed nervously and nodded her head.

"What about you Maria?" Margaretta turned her attention to her friend. "A sailor for you tonight?"

"What?" Margaretta's proposal took Maria by surprise. "Oh no, that's no necessary," Maria stammered. "But there is someone I'm hoping to try and meet up with tonight at the tavern."

"Someone?" Margaretta questioned pursing her lips together as she tried to work out whom Maria could be talking about. There was only one person she knew of. "Would it be that Captain who paid you so much attention last time we came here together?" Margaretta's tone was accusing. Maria opened her mouth to reply but Margaretta continued. "Because if it is, I've told you before, he's no good. I've heard so many nasty stories about him from many of the sailors. Maria, you should stay well away from him."

Without revealing everything she knew about the Captain, Maria knew she had to set her friend straight. "Margaretta, I think all those apparent _nasty_ stories are just rumours. You don't know anything about him, or what he's been through…"

"And you do?"

Maria nodded. "I can't say what, but I do think you're judging him unfairly. I did too once, and I was wrong, so very wrong and I feel terrible about it…" Maria's voice trailed off.

She didn't say anymore and the three women walked in silence the rest of the way to _The Lonely Goatherd_. Seeing the tavern up ahead and knowing that the Captain would be inside, suddenly Maria felt nervous and she had no idea what she was going to say to him when she saw him. She glanced down at her dress: a cream blouse with frills at the sleeves under a light brown bodice with a long flowing dark beige skirt. It was nice dress and practical, but not the prettiest in her collection. She had wished she could have worn the gown made from the light blue chiffon cloth but she was still in the process of completing it. The only other dress, which was prettier than the one she was wearing, was the one made from the material with tiny red and green flowers imprinted on a white background. She had been saving that dress for a special occasion, but thinking about it now, Maria wondered whether she should have worn that dress instead. But there was no time to go back and change outfits. Maria let out a sigh and followed Margaretta and Sophia into the tavern.

Like the first night when they'd come to _The Lonely Goatherd_ , the tavern was noisy and full of smoke and drunken sailors. Also, once again there was a pair of men standing on a nearby table swaying side to side with their arms linked and yodelling loudly.

Maria glanced around the crowded room looking for some sign of the dark haired Captain but she couldn't see him. Almost at once Margaretta disappeared into the sea of sailors dragging a half-reluctant, half-enthusiastic Sophia behind her.

Maria was left alone. She stood off to the side and continued to scan the room for anyone she recognised. After a few minutes, the Baroness appeared from the back room and the whole tavern erupted in loud and wild cheers. Once again she was clothed in a sleek red number, her platinum blond curls piled high upon her head. As Elsa pirouetted around the room, she caught sight of Maria out of the corner of her eye. She gave Maria a half-smile and inclined her head towards a table several rows behind her. Maria tried to peer around the crowd but then as several men moved away, she saw him!

The Captain was sitting with Max, a glass of whiskey in his hand. He looked tired and thin, older even, Maria thought, like he'd been through a lot over the past months. She watched him for several moments before she took a deep breath, hummed a few lines of _I Have Confidence_ then began to make her way across the room to his table.

Almost like he sensed she was there, the Captain looked up in her direction before she was even half way across the floor. His gaze was so intense that it almost knocked the air out of her lungs. She stopped and looked back at him. For a moment he seemed pleased to see her, but then his expression hardened and he looked away. Not being put off, Maria continued walking over to his table.

"Hello," she said brightly and gave him a wide, yet slightly nervous smile. "I thought I just might find you here." She tried to playfully punctuate her words to try and disguise just how uneasy she was feeling about speaking to him after what had occurred between them the last time they'd spoken.

"Was there something you wanted?" he asked tersely. Any premise that he might have been pleased to see her was gone. He seemed irritated and almost angry that she was there.

"Well, I… uh, you see that…" she spluttered, not quite knowing where to start.

"Yes, get on with it." His abrupt and brisk manner shook her. She blinked several times, feeling a little miffed at his poor treatment of her.

Her temper flared. "Captain, I haven't seen you in months. I had expected that perhaps you might be a little _friendlier_ towards me and not just dismiss me without listening to what I have to say."

The Captain sat bolt upright in his seat eyes blazing, about to make a sharp retort. But before he could, Max placed one hand on his arm. "Georg, the girl is right. And I think you should listen to what she has to tell you."

The Captain threw his friend a peeved look then let out a deep breath. "All right Max," he conceded before he flicked his eyes back to Maria. "My apologies Maria." The Captain's tone had softened somewhat although there was still an edge to his words. "All right, what is it you wanted to say?" he asked.

But before Maria could reply, Max interrupted. "If you'll excuse me, I think I need to get another drink, and perhaps some strudel." The lieutenant flashed a charming smile then stood and left the Captain and Maria alone.

The Captain didn't speak but just stared intently at Maria, rapping his fingertips impatiently on her table in front of him. Maria was feeling more uneasy by the minute but she was determined to not let him shake her. "Err… Captain," Maria cleared her throat, preparing herself to say what she'd come there to say.

But before she could, a waitress, who was carrying a couple of large jugs of water, tried to squeeze past the Captain's table and tripped over a chair leg. All of a sudden, Maria found herself completely drenched from top to toe as the entire contents of both jugs of water landed on top of her.

"Eeek…!" Maria squealed in surprise. The Captain jumped to his feet. At once the waitress began apologising profusely as Elsa seemed to vaporise out of thin air next to them.

"Maria, darling! Are you all right?" Elsa asked as Maria nodded, glancing down at her now bedraggled appearance. She couldn't have been more wet than if she'd fallen out of a row boat into a lake: hair plastered to her head and her brand-new dress absolutely sopping. Maria sighed in defeat and shook the excess drops of water from her hands as another waitress arrived with a towel. "It's okay: it's just water," she sighed.

As she wiped her face down with the towel, Maria could see the Captain observing her with a look of mild amusement on his face. But his smirking ignited something inside her and she was instantly annoyed. She shot him a peeved look. "I suppose you think this is funny?"

"No!" the Captain denied and lifted both hands up innocently. "Not at all." But as he continued to grin at her, Maria felt her temper rising further. She opened her mouth to snap something back at him.

Elsa, standing between the Captain and Maria, could sense the tension between her two friends. She gently took the towel from Maria's hands. "Now, Maria. Please let me get you something clean and bright to wear so you can get out of these wet clothes. But while I'm gone, how about you chat nicely with Georg? I seem to recall that you had something pressing to say to him."

She nodded faintly as Elsa left in a flurry. Maria felt the Captain's eyes on her as he waited for her to speak. He gestured to her to continue. "You were saying…?"

Maria closed her eyes, inhaled deeply then began. "I, uh, wanted to thank you for the precious gift you sent me."

"What precious gift?"

"The material? For my new dresses? You sent them to me, didn't you?"

The Captain didn't answer right away, instead he clicked his tongue against his teeth for a few moments. "Yes I did," he finally admitted. "I couldn't have you roaming all about Pola in clothes that looked like they'd been made from some old drapes." Maria smiled as it seemed like he was giving her a gentle poke about her previous attire. "And besides, I said I would and I did. I'm a man of my word," he concluded softy, casting his eyes downwards, the grin on his face disappearing completely.

"Yes, I can see that," said Maria genuinely.

The Captain raised his eyes up and cast them over Maria, up and down several times. He frowned. "Was that one of your new dresses?" he asked. Maria glanced down at her saturated dress and let out a defeated laugh. "Well, it was."

"You look very beautiful," he told her, "Still. Despite the water." The way he continued to look at her made Maria's breath catch in her throat and she felt her cheeks flush pink. "So what happened to the old dress, the grey one?" he asked.

"Oh I had to throw it out," Maria explained with a laugh. "I tried to give it to away to the poor, but even they didn't want it!"

For the second time that night, Maria noticed the Captain's lips curl upwards in a half smile like he wanted to laugh too but then the moment was gone and his expression returned to stern. His demenour had suddenly switched back to the same cold, unfriendly manner that he was portraying when she'd arrived at _The Lonely Goatherd_. There was an awkward silence for a few seconds.

"Anyway, so you've thanked me. Was there anything else?" he inquired abruptly.

Once again, his harsh tone threw her. "W-well actually," she began. "I wanted to talk to about that day at the hospital. I wanted to apol…" But before she could finish her sentence, loud yelling and sounds of a scuffle coming from over the other side of the room interrupted them.

The Captain's head snapped up and whipped around trying to see what was going on. There was a group of sailors pushing and shoving each other several tables over. The Captain got to his feet intent on breaking up whatever argument was going on. But before he could, Max appeared in the midst of the group of quarrelling men.

"Now, men," they heard Max say firmly as he placed his palms on the chests of two of the men to separate them. "Take this outside. The Baroness has a rule about brawling in her tavern, you know that."

Several of the men grumbled and shrugged then threw their hands up in the air, like the disagreement wasn't worth it and turned around to go back to their drinks. But one of the other men was determined not to let them go without a fight. He pulled a knife. The Captain saw the glint of the metal blade as the sailor raised his arm in the air to strike.

"Max!" the Captain yelled. "Look out, he's got a knife!"

Too late, Max turned around to try and deflect the blade as the man attacked the other sailor. Max got caught in the crossfire and the knife plunged into his side. Max let out a groan as he sank to the ground. The other sailors around him scattered.

The Captain leapt up out of his seat and ran towards Max, both Maria and Elsa not far behind. As he reached his friend, the Captain scanned the room wildly for the perpetrator. He saw the sailor who had stabbed Max running for the door. "Get that man!" the Captain bellowed and several sailors near the door jumped on the man and pinned him to the ground. They then dragged him to his feet and held him tight. "Take him down to the base and find the commander," the Captain ordered. "Tell Commander Zeller what happened then hand that man over and have him locked up."

As soon as the sailors had hauled him out of the tavern, the Captain dropped to his knees at Max's side. "Max?" he whispered, lightly tapping his friend's face trying to rouse him. When Max didn't open his eyes, the Captain scanned his eyes down Max's body to the stab wound in his side. There was blood gushing out of Max's side and immediately the Captain took off his jacket and placed it over the wound to try and stop the bleeding. The bloody knife was lying on the floor next to him.

He sensed someone kneeling down next to him and he felt soft hands on top of his pushing down. "Captain," Maria said. "You have to put pressure on the wound otherwise he'll lose too much blood."

The Captain nodded and pushed down harder but there was a lot of blood still coming out.

"Sophia, Margaretta!" Maria called out, wildly looking around for her friends. A few seconds later, they both appeared looking fearful. "Run back to the hospital," Maria instructed, "and get the ambulance over here quickly. We need to get the lieutenant to the hospital as fast as possible."

As they left, Maria helped the Captain maintain pressure on the wound and together they managed to slow the bleeding considerably. Elsa fetched a pillow and a blanket to make Max more comfortable as he was going into shock and several of the barmaids began to clear out the tavern.

As they knelt together side by side, the Captain turned to look at Maria and she was surprised to see genuine fear in his eyes. "Will he be all right?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm not sure," she replied. "I hope so. We have to get him to the hospital quickly and he'll need surgery to close up that wound. It may be touch and go, I'm afraid but I promise I will do everything I can to help him."

"Thank you Maria," he breathed and he moved one hand slightly in order to clutch onto hers. They were kneeling close enough to each other that they were able to press their foreheads together while Maria whispered a silent prayer.

A few moments later, there was a commotion as the ambulance from the hospital arrived and several other nurses came in with a stretcher. It took a few of them to roll Max onto the stretcher and carry him out of the tavern. Maria stayed with Max the entire time, not willing to let the pressure off the stab wound until they were back at the hospital and Max was in surgery lest the wound start bleeding again. She left the Captain at _The Lonely Goatherd_ with Elsa and the promise that she'd be in touch as soon as she knew anything about Max's condition after the surgery.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

Several hours later, Maria sat at Max's bedside in the hospital. She felt exhausted as it had been a long and unpredictable night. It had been several hours since they'd arrived at the hospital and although Max had come through the surgery in the end, it had been touch and go at one point because he'd lost so much blood. She knew it might be days before the lieutenant woke up but she wanted to stay with him as long as she could so he wouldn't have to be alone.

Maria felt helpless. She'd said prayer after prayer until she was all prayed out – she didn't know what more she could do except to be there and wait. But then she wondered whether Max could hear what was going on around him. She felt a little silly sitting there _talking_ to an unconscious man, but Maria wondered whether singing might help. Singing always made her feel better whenever she sad and she decided that it couldn't hurt.

She began to sing softly. _"The hills are alive, with the sound of music…"_

XxXxXxXxXx

The Captain had waited for hours with Elsa at _The Lonely Goatherd_. She'd sent all the customers and staff home for the night after the stabbing so the place was empty apart from him. He paced up and down around the room in agitation waiting for news on Max. Finally he couldn't take waiting anymore and decided to head down to the hospital himself to find out how his friend was.

The hospital was dark and the corridors were deserted. The only person he'd bumped into was the night nurse who told him that the lieutenant was out of surgery and pointed him in the direction of the ward.

He was so concerned about the welfare of his friend that he barely noticed the sounds of music coming from the ward as he approached and it was only as he stood at the doorway that he realized it was Maria singing. She sat at his friends' bedside, her head in her hands singing a tune that he had once known so well but had forgotten.

"… _to laugh like a brook when it trips and falls over stones on its way, to sing through the night like a lark who is learning to pray…"_

Her light, sweet voice seemed to stir something inside him, something that had been frozen and shut out for so long and he found himself drawn into the room, the sound of his own voice mixing perfectly with hers.

"… _I go to the hills when my heart is lonely. I know I will hear, what I've heard before. My heart will be blessed with the sound of music and I'll sing once more…"_

Maria looked up surprised to see the Captain standing next to her, touched by the emotion in his voice. As the song ended, they looked at each other in silence before Maria broke the quiet by getting up off her seat. "Captain, please sit down. I'm sure Lieutenant Detweiller would much prefer you to be by his bedside than me." The Captain gratefully took the seat and Maria hovered at the end of the bed while the Captain gazed down at his friend.

"So, tell me," the Captain began not taking his eyes off Max. "The surgery: was it a success?"

Maria nodded faintly. "Yes, but he'd lost a lot of blood. He was lucky. It could have quite easily gone the other way."

The Captain turned to look at Maria. "Thank you, for everything." He turned back to Max. "You know Max _is_ my only friend, apart from Elsa, that is. I'm not sure what I would have done if anything…" his voice trailed off.

"He's going to be all right Captain," Maria tried to reassure him, approaching him and placing one hand on his shoulder. "And you should know," she added quietly, "Max _isn't_ your only friend." Feeling her hand on his shoulder and hearing her words, he twisted his face so that he was looking into her eyes. He didn't say anything, and he didn't have to. Maria wiped a stray tear from her cheek with her other hand.

"Captain," she began. "Last time we spoke before you went away, I said stupid, thoughtless things to you and I apologise. I didn't mean…"

"Stop," he said quietly. "Maria, please stop. You have nothing to apologise for. I am the one who needs to apologise to you. I behaved badly time and time again, forgive me?"

"I do, but you'll have to forgive me too. I'm far too outspoken; it's one of my worst faults."

"No, not at all. You're right. I _don't_ have any friends, not anymore. I killed them all and I've been running away from my mistakes and my guilt ever since."

Maria's heart went out to him. "But you don't have to run anymore," she soothed. "You can learn from your mistakes. You can start again. There's still time…"

The Captain shook his head. "How can I start again when everything I touch turns to death or tragedy? Even Max."

"But he isn't dead! He survived! You have to stop putting yourself down. From what I see you're a fine man and a brave one. You have so much to offer if you'll let go of your fear and trust yourself again."

The Captain closed his eyes and breathed deeply through his nostrils. "How?" he choked.

"One day at a time, I suppose. And let your friends help you. I know Elsa cares a great deal for you, and…" she paused, "so do I."

He opened his eyes and looked at her. "You do? Even after I've treated you so appallingly?"

"Even then," she smiled. "I had hoped that perhaps we can get to know each other better, as friends… Georg." Somehow Maria felt it was a relief to call him Georg now rather than 'the Captain' all the time.

Georg smiled back at her and squeezed her hand. "I'd like that very much, Maria."

 ** _A/N: Thanks everyone for your review. I've love to hear what you think of this chapter too. Please review!_**


	5. Chapter 5

**The Lonely Goatherd – Chapter 5**

Georg von Trapp strode into the hospital. His steps were quick and full of purpose. As he approached the first ward, he glanced momentarily in the window but continued on his journey down the hallway when he saw the room was empty. Again and again he paused to look in each of the wards, but none contained the person he was searching for. Finally as he got to the last room, he saw her! His lips curled upwards in a small smile but just has his hand closed over the knob of the door to the ward, a voice cut through the air, causing him to jump.

"Back again, Captain?"

Georg turned around to see Sister Berthe standing right behind him, her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed. She wore an unimpressed expression but for a moment, Georg wasn't sure whether he detected a hint of amusement on her face. He had worked out over the past few weeks that while the nun-turned-matron of the hospital was a formidable woman and someone not to be crossed, she also had a softer side that could be tamed with a bit of gentle encouragement. And he certainly needed to be on her good side, particularly when he had such an interest in Maria. _A little bit of charm would be just the thing to win her over_ , Georg thought.

"Ah, Sister Berthe. I didn't see you there," Georg replied casually, flashing her his most charismatic smile. "Yes, back again. You know the welfare of my men is of the utmost concern to me, and since Lieutenant Detweiller was injured, it has been my duty to ensure that he is making a swift recovery."

Sister Berthe nodded her head knowingly. "Of course, Captain." Georg silently congratulated himself for coming up with a quick cover story to disguise the fact that he had actually come to the hospital in search of Maria. "Still," Sister Berthe continued. "I am still surprised to see you here, especially because Lieutenant Detweiller was discharged two days ago, which you were no doubt aware of." She gave him a pointed look and tapped her foot impatiently.

Instantly the smile on Georg's face disappeared and a wave of cold rushed over him. _Oh no!_ He inwardly cringed. _He'd been caught out!_

"Ah," he replied, letting out a nervous chuckle. An awkward silence followed as he felt the older woman's eyes sizing him up. His mouth suddenly felt very dry. It was one of those rare moments where he found himself tongue-tied and lost for words.

But Sister Berthe filled in the void for him. "May I suggest, Captain, that you were to here to see someone else? Err… One of my nurses, perhaps?" She gently inclined her head towards the closest ward where he could just see Maria with her back turned towards them finishing to strip one of the beds of its sheets. A small smile crept across the matron's face and Georg realised that he wasn't in as much trouble with the older woman as he'd first thought.

He let out a sigh of relief. "I believe you've caught me out, Sister Berthe," Georg chuckled. Georg knew there was no point denying why he was there at the hospital. "May I see Maria?" he asked Sister Berthe courteously, flashing her another award-winning smile.

"No, Captain," Sister Berthe replied shortly. "She's in the middle of her shift."

"Oh…" Georg's face fell. He was clearly very disappointed. Sister Berthe peered at him closely, scrutinizing him and his reaction for a moment before she changed her mind. "Two minutes. And that's all," she declared in a definite voice.

Georg grinned. "Thank you Sister."

He immediately went to open the door to the ward but Sister Berthe stopped him. "Before you see Maria, sir, I do wish to have a few words with you in private." Georg felt like he was a little boy again, about to be reprimanded by his nanny as she pulled him aside and began to speak.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

Inside the room, Maria heard voices outside the door. She looked out of the ward window to see Georg in the hallway… speaking to Sister Berthe! While she wasn't particularly surprised to see Georg at the hospital since he'd been there so often over the past few weeks that he was almost like a piece of the furniture, she was surprised to see him speaking with the matron. It didn't take much for Maria to guess what the elderly nun was talking to the Captain about. Maria knew that Sister Berthe was fiercely protective of all the ladies under her care and that the attentions from a handsome sea captain towards one of her nurses would launch Sister Berthe into her mother hen mode.

But Maria also knew that there was nothing for Sister Berthe to worry about. Weeks ago after Lieutenant Detweiller had been injured and Maria had made up with Georg, they had mutually decided to be _just_ friends. Georg had declared himself far too emotionally damaged to launch into a relationship and while Maria didn't quite agree with Georg's self-assessment, she knew that she had committed herself to the life a nurse, serving her country and the men she cared for at the hospital that she didn't have the time for anything more. Besides, she hadn't come to Pola to find love.

Yet, she knew something was happening between her and Georg. Each day after his visit with Max, Georg would stop by to say hello. Sometimes he'd stay for a while, waiting patiently while she finished her shift before they'd head out together for the afternoon. Sometimes they'd go and see Elsa at _The Lonely Goatherd_ ; other times they'd take tea together at the tea house. And they'd talk for hours – no actually, _Maria_ would talk and Georg would listen. She didn't mind his quietness really. She was pleased to see him starting to heal slowly. He had suffered a terrible heartache after the loss of the _Agathe_ and his men and although she had seen him let down his guard that night in the hospital when they sang _The Sound of Music_ together, she knew that it wasn't just a simple matter of singing a song to suddenly reverse everything he'd shut out over the past few months. It would take time.

But she had seen a change in Georg since that night. He'd lost some of that stern façade that he portrayed and he was relaxing more and more around his men. Gone were the regimented marching routines with whistles and orders, instead he ran alternative training programs that were still disciplined but the change in his persona had won him respect and undying loyalty from all under his command.

And as for Maria, Georg was slowly starting to open up to her, bringing down the walls that he'd put up around himself. And she liked what she saw behind them. He was a fine man, and a brave one. He was patriotic to his country and devoted to his men. He was kind to her and she enjoyed his company very much. Maria looked forward to Georg's daily visits to the hospital and had been disappointed when she'd learnt that Max was due to be discharged as it would mean that Georg would no longer have a reason to visit. Yet, each day since Max had left, Georg had turned up at the hospital just to see her.

As much as she'd like to try and deny it, she couldn't. Maria knew she was falling hard for the handsome Captain. The more time they spent together, the more Maria found herself craving to be in his presence. And while Georg had never made any further mention of their relationship moving to beyond just friendship, Maria sensed he felt the same way about her too. She'd observed the way he'd light up and become animated whenever she arrived and how his eyes would follow her about a room. Then there was this one time when they were at _The Lonely Goatherd_ when Elsa had come swooping in to kiss Georg fully on the mouth, but Georg had caught Maria's eye before politely offering Elsa his cheek instead.

There were also times that they'd look at each other where Maria felt like she could hardly breathe. Georg would gaze at her with his deep, dark blue eyes that burned with an intensity that frightened Maria in a way she never thought possible. Not that she thought he would ever physically harm her, no, Maria knew she was more frightened of her growing feelings towards him and what that meant if, perhaps, she was wrong and had misinterpreted all the signals and Georg didn't feel the same way about her. She could scarcely believe that a man like the heroic Captain Georg von Trapp would fall in love with her.

So time and time again, Maria tried to convince herself that she didn't feel anything more than friendship towards Georg. It seemed easier to hide away and use the hospital as an escape rather than face her feelings.

As all those thoughts were racing around her head, she'd hadn't noticed that Georg had finished talking to Sister Berthe and it wasn't until he'd placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump, that she'd even realised he'd come into the ward.

"Georg," she gasped, trying to recover from the fright he'd given her. "I didn't hear you come in."

"That's obvious," he remarked with a smile. "You seemed a million miles away. What were you thinking about?"

"Oh…" Maria felt her face starting to flush knowing exactly what she _had_ been thinking about. "Nothing…" Maria quickly dismissed his question with a smile and a wave of her hand. Georg gave her an inquisitive look, like he was trying to work out whether he should push her further or not.

But before he could say anything more, Maria changed the subject. "So, you're looking well today." She looked at him more closely. "Have you done something different with your hair?"

Georg shrugged like he didn't know what she was talking about but inwardly he felt pleased that she'd noticed. In fact he had spent almost an extra half an hour trying to perfect the poof of his hair. But he didn't want to tell her that. Instead, he complimented her in return. "And you Maria, you're looking well too."

"Thank you," she replied, a broad smile on her face. Georg smiled back and as he smiled, he gave her that look again – that smouldering look intensity that almost, quite literally, took her breathe away. She found herself rooted to the spot, grinning back at him like an idiot, unable to move.

His penetrating gaze was unsettling and Maria wanted to look away but she couldn't. But thankfully Georg looked away first then cleared his throat as an uncomfortable silence fell between the two of them. It was moments like these that Maria really wished that she could hide from her feelings rather than face them. Georg gave her another quick glance before walking several steps away from her to look back out the window into the corridor, his hands clasped behind his back, the fingers on his left hand twitching nervously.

"You know I just had the most interesting conversation with your Sister Berthe," he commented, his back still turned towards her.

"Yes, I saw that," Maria replied, feeling like the conversation between them had suddenly become awkward. "What did she want to talk to you about? Warning you to stay away from me no doubt," Maria half joked.

Georg partially turned around with an expression on his face that made Maria immediately know that she'd hit the nail on the head. He chewed on his lip for a moment. "Yes, something like that," he admitted softly thinking back to Sister Berthe's warnings just only minutes earlier about not breaking Maria's heart.

Maria waited for Georg to elaborate on his conversation with the matron but he did not.

"Well, there is nothing that Sister Berthe needs to worry about," Maria replied brightly trying to fill yet another uncomfortable silence. "After all, we are _just_ friends…"

At Maria's words, Georg all of a sudden looked crestfallen. "Just friends," he repeated softly, almost to himself. "Yes, of course."

Instantly Maria wanted to kick herself for her thoughtless remark. All this time she'd been mulling over her growing feelings towards Georg and the first opportunity to perhaps approach the topic of whether they might be more than _just_ friends, she'd put her foot in her mouth. Again. _Why did she always have to speak first, think later?_ She closed her eyes and winced. _Stupid, stupid, stupid Maria!_

"Georg, I…" she began but he cut her off.

"Anyway," he glanced down at his watch as he turned back around away from her. "Sister Berthe has only allowed me two minutes with you since you're still in the middle of your shift so I better make this quick. Elsa wanted me to let you know that she's giving some sort of big party tonight at _The Lonely Goatherd_ and she's insisting that you come along. They'll be dancing, I believe – not quite my thing if truth be told, but it will most likely be a good night…"

"Well, that sounds lovely…"

"… and it'll be a nice way to say goodbye."

At once Maria felt like she'd been hit square in the chest. "G-goodbye?" she stammered.

"Yes," Georg replied, turning back to look her in the eye. "I'm leaving in the morning, Maria. Back out to sea. Commander Zeller says we've been on shore too long and well, there _is_ a war we're meant to be fighting."

Maria felt like she'd had the life knocked out of her. Of course she knew that Georg was a sailor and there was a war on - that's why there were all there in Pola. But the last month with Georg stationed in port had been so wonderful that it had almost made her forget that he would be leaving again soon.

"I see…" she whispered. "How long will you be gone this time?"

"Not sure, Maria, not sure. Last time we were at sea, we were gone for months."

Maria opened her mouth and was just about to tell Georg that she would miss him when Sister Berthe appeared at the door to the ward.

"I believe I gave you two minutes, Captain. I think you've taken five. I'm sorry but you need to leave and Maria needs to get back to work."

Georg nodded reluctantly. "So I'll see you tonight then?" he asked Maria as Sister Berthe escorted him from the room. Maria promised him that she'd come as the matron bustled her back into the ward to continue her shift.

Out in the corridor, Georg gave Maria one last lingering look. Then he took off back down the hallway and out of the hospital.

Silently from her place across the hallway in the linen closet, Margaretta watched him leave. She'd been noticing how often the Captain had been visiting Maria over the past few weeks. She'd also noticed a remarkable change in his disposition since his return to port. So many of the sailors she'd spent her free time with had even remarked on it too. No more Captain von Jackass, they'd said. His remarkable transformation had now won him the title of Captain von Awesome Commander, although since Margaretta still thought he was the most handsome sailor in the navy, she much preferred the nickname she'd given him months ago: Captain von Handsomepants!

There was no doubt in Margaretta's mind that as the finest sailor in the navy, she wanted him. But there was the problem of Maria that she needed to solve. It was clear that the Captain liked her friend but Maria had declared time and time again that she and the Captain were _just_ friends. So, that left a space for Margaretta to try her luck with him, didn't it? After all, Maria had once said _"Well, if you like him so much, Margaretta, you can have him!"_

Hearing about the party at _The Lonely Goatherd_ that night gave Margaretta an idea, and she was determined that she would not leave the tavern that night without her Captain von Handsomepants.

 _ **A/N: Thanks everyone for their reviews. Please review again and let me know what you think of this latest chapter.**_


	6. Chapter 6

**The Lonely Goatherd – Chapter 6**

Georg opened the door to _The Lonely Goatherd_ and strolled inside. The entire tavern had been cleared out in preparation for that evening's party, save for a few tables that had been pushed to the side of the room. On the stage was a group of can-can girls practising their latest routine. They were hopping about the stage singing brightly: " _Doe, a dear, a female dear; re, a drop of golden sun; me, a name I call myself; fa, a long, long way to run…"_

At one of the tables sat Max watching the performance, a glass of brandy in his hand. Georg went and sat down next to not even looking up at Georg, Max raised his glass towards the dancing girls. "Remarkable," Max commented. "Truly remarkable. If this blasted war weren't going on, I'd sign them up as a performance group then tour them all around Austria."

"They'd get the fame and you'd get the money, I suppose," Georg replied.

Max chuckled. "It would be unfair, I admit. One day that'll change and I'd get the fame too!"

"If only Elsa would let you have them too. She's not an easy woman to convince to let go of something she owns."

"Oh, that I know!" Max agreed as he took a sip of his drink.

Georg looked around the tavern, which was empty apart from them and the performers. "Hmm, where is our dear Elsa?" Georg asked.

"Where do you think?" Max gestured upwards with a knowing look on his face. "Business."

Georg rolled his eyes. He didn't approve particularly of Elsa's _side business_ but Elsa had told him time and time again that it wasn't any of his concern what she did in her spare time and to keep his nose out of her affairs. "So, who does she have up there this time?"

Max shrugged. "Captain Fichter, I believe. Handsome, of course, and rich."

Georg grunted. "Well at least it's not Commander Zeller."

"Of course it wouldn't be him. Elsa would never let Zeller into her bed, you know that Georg. She's very aware of what he did to you and what you think about him."

Georg flexed his jaw and scowled. "That man!" he spat. "I may have to serve under him, but I don't like him. After the situation he put me in when the _Agathe_ sank…" Georg's voice faded away. He tapped his fingers against the table in annoyance like he was about to say something else, but instead he let out a deep sigh. "Anyway…"

Georg wanted to change the topic. He glanced at Max. "So… you're looking well, Max. How are you feeling now?"

"Fine, just fine - as good as new, really. But as much as I loved all those lovely nurses fawning over me while I was at the hospital, it _is_ good to finally be discharged and be able to enjoy some of the fine stuff again." Max raised his drink in a toast then took a large gulp.

Georg gave Max a dubious look. "And I'm sure while Elsa is otherwise occupied, you took it upon yourself to just, uh, _help yourself_ to her liquor supply?"

Max chuckled heartily. "What can I say, Georg? I am a very charming sponge."

"That you are." Georg picked up an empty glass and poured himself a drink. He raised his glass towards Max who clinked it with his own. As Georg took a sip, Max spoke. "Anyway, speaking of lovely nurses, how did it go today?"

"It didn't," Georg replied flatly.

"What do you mean?" Max was confused. "I thought you were going down to the hospital to tell Maria how you felt about her before we shipped out tomorrow."

Georg didn't say anything, instead just took a sip of his drink and stared into space.

"Georg?" Max probed. "Tell me what happened? Tell me every teensy-weensy, intimate, disgusting detail. Tell Maxie everything."

Georg gave Max a hard look. "Well," he began slowly, swirling his brandy gently around his glass as he searched for words. "Firstly I got sprung by Sister Berthe…"

"Ooo hoo!" Max rubbed his hands together in glee – he did enjoy a good story. "Oh Georg, I _like_ her. Some might think of her as a harsh, formidable woman. But oh no, not me. I think she has a delightfully wicked streak about her that is so likeable. I bet she even has some sort of hidden talent that no one knows about, like the ability to hot-wire a car, or something like that."

"Ha ha," Georg quipped, unamused. "Maybe if you like Sister Berthe so much you could take her on a date and you could compare notes on carburettors and spark plugs so I could be left alone to try and talk to Maria."

Max could hear the frustration in Georg's voice so he knew it was time to stop joking. "So you didn't even get to speak to Maria?"

Georg shook his head. "Oh I spoke to her, alright. Sister Berthe gave me two minutes with her…"

"That was kind of her…"

Georg shot Max a look and Max immediately closed his mouth. "… but she said it: The killer line…" Max looked at Georg confused before Georg clarified. " _Just_ friends."

Max opened his mouth to form a large 'O' shape with his lips. There was an awkward silence before Max broke it. "Well, at least she didn't give you the cliché _it's not you, it's me_ line."

Georg glared at Max. "Not helpful, Max." He scowled at his drink before downing it in one gulp. "It's all my fault, you know. I've been telling her all this time I just want to be friends and that I'm too _emotionally damaged_ to give her more. Seriously Max? Emotionally damaged? Who says that kind of rubbish?" Georg banged his fist down hard on the table in frustration. He then took a deep breath, placed his head in his hands and rubbed his temples with his fingertips. "I'm an idiot, that's what."

Max had a fiendish delight seeing his friend in so much misery. He decided to probe Georg a little more, just for the fun of it. "Well, Georg. I have to say I am surprised at you. It isn't like you to fall so hard for a woman. Didn't you once say you didn't have the time for anything more than a one night stand?"

"That was the old Georg – the one that was practically married to his career, and his boat," Georg replied, his voice slightly muffled as he'd buried his head in his hands.

Max snorted loudly. "Married to your boat, the _Agathe_. Good one, my friend."

After a moment, Georg looked up. "You know Max, I think I lost my heart to Maria on that first night we met here at _The Lonely Goatherd_. From the very moment I saw her stumble into the room wearing that god-awful dress, I thought _now_ _there's someone who has some guts coming into a seedy place like this_. She looked completely atrocious in that ridiculous outfit, yet she had a bright smile on her face the entire time she was here. She lights up when she smiles, did you know that Max?" Max merely shrugged, pretending that he hadn't noticed. "And then when she sat on that bloody pinecone…" Georg paused to chuckle at the memory before continuing. "But this was the clincher: I think she is the first and only woman that has ever to told _me_ to sod off."

"I suppose that is something new for you _not_ to have a woman swoon at your feet," Max remarked dryly. Georg let out a frustrated sigh then buried his head in his hands again.

Max looked at Georg pensively for a few moments. "Well, maybe it wasn't meant to be."

"Ugh…" Georg groaned again, not even looking up. "That's as corny as _it's not you it's me_."

"Yes, I suppose so," Max shrugged. "But my point is, there are many other girls around. So, it didn't work out with Maria – maybe you have a chance with one of the other nurses perhaps. I know how much they all swoon over you – I've heard the name Captain von Handsomepants being floated around the hospital several times."

At once, Georg's head snapped up. "Captain von WHAT?" he cried aghast before he found the funny side and burst out laughing. The two men laughed together for several minutes.

"Seriously though Georg," Max said after the laughter had died down. "If I were you, I'd try talking to Maria again tonight at the party. She might change her mind, but if she doesn't I'm sure there will be plenty of other nurses who would love to keep you company, if you know what I mean." Max winked.

Although Georg didn't quite like what Max was implying, what his friend suggested made sense. He would find Maria, talk to her again then open his heart to her and hope she loved him back. And if she didn't, he'd get very drunk and find someone who did.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

Maria's shift at the hospital finally finished late in the afternoon and it was time to get ready for the party at _The Lonely Goatherd_. Maria's stomach was in knots. Firstly, she was still in a bit of shock to learn about Georg leaving, but secondly, she felt so confused about her feelings towards him. She wanted to tell him how she felt, but with his leaving the following day, Maria wondered whether there was a point and whether she would be making a fool out of herself. And if, by chance, he loved her in return, what would that mean for her commitment and life as a nurse? She sensed he wanted more from her, but then she had to put her foot in her mouth and make that ridiculous comment about being _just_ friends. She wondered what he thought of her. Should she tell him how she felt or just let them remain _just_ friends? She didn't know.

Maria must have stood in front of her wardrobe door looking at the dresses hanging inside for at least half an hour as her mind raced in circles. Finally, she grabbed the first dress her hand found – a pretty dress that resembled a traditional Austrian dirndl that had an aqua bodice with white sleeves and a spin skirt that was embroidered with long green stems and red flowers at the tips. Looking in the mirror, she was pleased with her appearance.

Maria left her room to join the other nurses from the hospital to head up to _The Lonely Goatherd_. Just as she was heading out the door after Sophia and Margaretta, Sister Berthe stopped them.

"Ladies, I'm afraid one of the sailors has pulled out his sutures and I need one of you to stay back to help me stitch him back up."

Before anyone could say anything, Margaretta quickly piped up. "Maria can stay." A sly smile crossed her lips. "After all, she is the most skilled with suturing."

Maria's heart sank. Yes, it was true she was better at suturing than any of the other nurses probably because of her love of sewing. But if she stayed behind, she would miss the party at _The Lonely Goatherd_ which meant missing seeing Georg. She opened her mouth to protest but Sister Berthe had already whipped her back inside the hospital and was beginning to thrust a surgical gown over her pretty party dress.

Maria sighed then began washing her hands in preparation for the procedure. _Oh well,_ she thought _, let's get this over with…_

 _ **A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating this story, you know... life and all, plus I had actually FORGOTTEN that I needed to post a new chapter until I happened to watch TSOM with my kids yesterday and suddenly remembered... whoops! Anyway, please review! I'm sure I'll be a little quicker to update with a few words of encouragement...**_


	7. Chapter 7

**The Lonely Goatherd – Chapter 7**

By early evening, _The Lonely Goatherd_ had filled up almost completely with sailors, nurses and other people from the town. There was music blaring and the dancing had started. Many couples were gathered together in the middle of the tavern, which had been turned into a large dance floor. Waltzes, polkas, and round dances taking place one after the other.

The day had been a hot one, with it being in the middle of summer and all, but with all the extra people in the tavern, the temperature was almost unbearable inside. Many of the men had taken off their jackets and rolled up their sleeves to cope with the heat and the women were trying to cool themselves down by fanning. However, despite the sweltering heat, everyone was having a fabulous time at the party.

Everyone, that is, except Georg.

He'd been waiting for Maria to turn up at _The Lonely Goatherd_ all night, however she hadn't arrived. He'd seen a couple of her nurse friends, such as Margaretta and Sophia enter the tavern earlier in the evening but Maria wasn't with them. Margaretta had given him a friendly wave and a sultry wink as she'd arrived but then she'd been quickly whisked away by a bunch of sailors before he'd had a chance to catch her and ask her where Maria was.

Feeling at a bit of a loss, Georg approached Max, who was in a semi-heated discussion with Elsa over Max's plans to steal away her can-can girls and launch them into an exclusive world tour.

But as soon as Elsa saw the crestfallen look on Georg's face, she pushed Max aside and took Georg's arm. "What's wrong, darling? Aren't you having a good time?"

Georg grunted. "I would be, with the right company, that is."

Max scanned the room quickly. "Hmm… No Maria then? I thought you said she was coming?"

"So did I," Georg huffed.

Just then one of the barmaids came over and whispered something in Elsa's ear. She nodded briefly as the young girl left. Elsa turned to Georg. "Georg, I'm sure Maria will be here soon. She and I have spent a lot of time together over these past few months. She's not the type of woman to stand up a man. Something has obviously come up at the hospital that has delayed her."

Georg nodded faintly, knowing Elsa was most likely right. Elsa squeezed his hand. "But listen, darling. I need to attend to something. While don't you and Max sit quietly at one of those side tables and I'll have a bottle of my best brandy sent over while you wait for Maria. My treat."

Georg opened his mouth to protest but Max cut in first. "Good idea. And you know I'm always happy to accept _anything_ that's free!" Max winked and pulled at Georg's arm, dragging him over towards the tables.

From the other side of the room, Margaretta was keeping a close eye on the Captain. She'd had a bunch of admirers already that evening but it was the Captain she really wanted. As long as she could keep Maria away, then she'd have her chance. But she was a little uncertain on how to approach the Captain without making it obvious that she was making a play for him.

As she was trying to work out her next move, she got the fright of her life when she heard someone whisper in her ear: "You don't stand a chance."

Spinning around in surprise, she looked around for the mystery voice. He was standing right behind her: young, tall, blond and very cocky looking. He was sort of cute, in a way, but she could easily imagine that he was the type of man who would turn into a pudgy old man with a toupee singing songs in a seedy nightclub and living off former glories.

"What on earth do you mean?" Margaretta asked him.

"Him. The Captain," the man pointed across the room to where the Captain sat. "I don't think you have a chance with him."

"W-what?" Margaretta was so taken back that the word just tumbled out of her mouth. But she quickly pulled herself together, trying to pretend she didn't know what the man was going on about. "I mean, what makes you think I'm interested in him?"

"Because you've been staring at him continually since you arrived."

Margaretta felt a little foolish realising she had been so obvious. But she didn't want him to know that. "And what's it to you if I _am_ interested in him?" she replied a little offhandedly.

"No reason," he shrugged. But he looked her up and down in such a way that she had little doubt of his true intentions. Although her sights were set on the Captain, Margaretta did feel a bit curious about the man who was clearly flirting with her.

"Anyway, you are…?"

"I'm sorry," the man gave an apologetic smile and held out his hand. "I should have introduced myself first. My name is Rolf."

"I'm Margaretta," she replied as they shook hands. "So what about you, Rolf?" she asked. "Here all alone?"

"'Fraid so, little darlin'," he answered, sliding up close to her. "But I did have a girl back home once. Her name was Liesl. I used to deliver telegrams to her father and we'd meet in secret at the gazebo in her back garden."

"So what happened?" Margaretta asked.

"Well, her father didn't like me very much and then I got the calling to join the navy so I became occupied in _far_ more important matters. And now I'm here."

"All alone."

"Yes all alone," he smirked. "But I'm sure hoping you'll help fix that." He moved even closer to her until his mouth was right up against her ear. "I have a room upstairs," he murmured.

Margaretta turned her head and stared at Rolf open mouthed before she let out a loud laugh. "And what makes you think that I'd just hook up with a perfect stranger?"

"Because it will be the best offer you'll get all night," he replied slyly. "I still don't think you have a chance with him." Rolf inclined his head towards the Captain.

Margaretta was annoyed at Rolf and felt determined to prove that he was wrong. "Well, let's just see about that," she replied, raising her eyebrows. "If you'll excuse me." Margaretta brushed past Rolf and began to make her way across the room towards the Captain.

"Well, hello Captain!" she said brightly as she approached his table.

Georg looked miserable. He and Max had already gotten through about a third of the way through the bottle of brandy that Elsa had sent over. He'd spent the better part of the night with his eyes glued to the front door hoping that Maria would arrive. But she still hadn't showed up and his mood was getting darker by the minute. He didn't particularly feel like having pleasant chitchat.

He glanced up at her. "Margaretta," he grunted in acknowledgement but then directed his focus back onto the glass of brandy in his hand.

Not being put off, Margaretta perked herself in the edge of the table. "Having a fun night so far?" she asked sweetly.

"Not particularly."

"Oh? Anything I could help you with?" She battered her eyelids seductively. Georg let out a deep sigh. He'd already figured out that Margaretta was one of the world's biggest flirts and he really didn't want to be on the receiving end of her attentions. Still, she was a friend of Maria's so perhaps Margaretta might know where she was.

"Actually yes, there is," he replied. "I was wondering whether you might know where Maria is."

Margaretta had mentally prepared herself for that question and she had a perfectly formed answer already waiting. "I'm sorry, Captain. But Maria decided not to come tonight. She was far too busy at the hospital and quite honestly, she said she is far too committed to being a nurse to consider any sort of romance on the side." While Margaretta knew she was lying through her teeth, there was enough truth to her response to make the story believable.

Georg felt crushed. _Firstly just friends and now too committed to being a nurse to consider romance?_ Waiting around all night for someone who wasn't going to show up or return his affections suddenly didn't seem like the best idea in the world. Georg stood up stiffly. "I'm going back to the ship," he announced.

Margaretta panicked a little inside. If the Captain left, then she'd miss her chance with him. "Oh no, Captain! Don't leave just yet!" she pleaded. "The party is just getting started. Why don't you stay for a bit longer? Perhaps even come and have a dance with me?"

Georg closed his eyes and shook his head slightly, not interested in the slightest. But as he began to move off, Max grabbed his arm and spoke quietly to him so that Margaretta couldn't overhear them. "Georg, I'm sorry but it seems like Maria has made her choice. At least you know one way or the other. It's hard, I admit it but remember what we talked about earlier today? About there being plenty of other nurses that would love to keep you company? Well, Margaretta is here and all she is asking you for is a dance. You don't have to marry the girl or anything. Just stay for a bit longer and try to enjoy yourself a little."

Georg looked hard at his friend. Max was right: it would _only_ be one dance and it might cheer him up. As the first strains of the Laendler floated through the air, Georg turned to Margaretta and held out his hand to her.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

At last Maria finished up at the hospital. The suturing had taken a lot longer than she'd first thought it would have and then a couple of other matters had arisen that she needed to attend to as well. Then as she was getting ready to leave the hospital, Sister Berthe pulled her aside for a little pep talk, or more accurately, a pep _sing_ as the elderly matron had immediately burst into song – something about climbing every mountain and fording every stream, following every rainbow until she found her dream? Maria wasn't quite sure what she meant by it all, but she had a sneaking suspicion that Sister Berthe was telling her to _go for it_ when it came to her relationship with the dashing Captain.

However, Maria had already come to that conclusion herself. The extra time at the hospital had also allowed Maria to think. Knowing how devastated she had been at the thought of not being able to see Georg that night made things very clear in her mind. Maria knew she was in love with Georg and, whether or not she should, she was determined to find Georg and tell him her feelings before he left the following morning as it might be her last opportunity to do so.

Thanking Sister Berthe for her advice and with her heart leaping with joy at finally coming to a decision, Maria was practically skipping as she made the journey from the hospital to _The Lonely Goatherd_.

XxXxXxXxXx

Georg and Margaretta joined the other couples in the large circle in the center of the tavern to dance the Laendler. Firstly he bowed then she curtsied, then they went for a little walk: one, two, three; one, two, three; one, two, three then step together. Step-hop, step-hop then turn under… Margaretta laughed as their turn was a little awkward. But as they repeated the move, the turn under was much more smooth. Following the other couples in the circle, Margaretta spun under Georg's arm until he caught her hand and they promenaded together.

Georg began to relax and enjoy the traditional Austrian folk dance as they waltzed side-to-side and promenaded around again. He smiled at her several times and he could feel the tension in his shoulders disappear as the dance went on. Margaretta then lifted her skirt as she hopped and jigged around him, while Georg clapped merrily in time with the music. Soon it was time for Georg to strut around Margaretta, still clapping before they pivoted so that he was in front of her. Along with all the other couples dancing the Laendler, the whole atmosphere felt fun and exciting.

But as soon as the music changed from light-hearted to serious, Georg felt the mood of the dance shift. There was an intensity in the air as the dance went on and he barely even noticed that the other couples had stopped dancing to stand aside to watch them complete the dance alone.

He placed his hand over his shoulder for Margaretta to catch, which she did and then she turned to face him. Moving backwards, their arms moved up and outwards in a large arc before they moved closer together to spin with their bodies pushed tightly together, one arm raised above their heads. Spinning one way and then the next, Georg felt Margaretta pressing her body closer and closer to him, her eyes gazing deeply into his.

He felt suffocated by her and her desperately wanted to get away. But instead as the music slowed and came to its conclusion, Margaretta threw both arms around his neck and kissed him passionately.

Taken completely by surprise, Georg didn't pull away instantly but as soon as he did, his blood turned cold. For right before him standing in the doorway to _The Lonely Goatherd_ was Maria.

The ashen and distressed look on her face told Georg everything he needed to know.

"Oh god," he whispered under his breath. He quickly tried to disentangle himself out of Margaretta's arms as he called out to her. "Maria!" But it was too late for Maria had turned and fled the tavern.

Margaretta, after having seen Maria leave the tavern, tried to make a grab for Georg's hand. "Captain!"

Georg whipped around, feeling a mixture of stupidity and fury at how he'd been lured into dancing with Margaretta. He snatched his hand away. "Not now, Margaretta! Haven't you done enough?"

Quickly grabbing his jacket from where he'd left it with Max, Georg ran out of the tavern after Maria and into the night.

As the murmured whispers and inquisitive looks from the other patrons came her way, Margaretta's face burned red. Her perfect plan to get the Captain had been foiled by Maria. And now she was left standing alone in the center of the room embarrassed. Taking a deep breath and holding her head up high, Margaretta slinked from the dance floor over to the side of the room. Thankfully with the next lot of music beginning, the other people in the tavern soon forgot about the spectacle and resumed enjoying the party.

Margaretta made her way over to the bar and was about to order herself a drink when one was placed in front of her. Looking up, she saw Rolf settling himself down onto the bar stool next to hers. "Bad luck," he remarked, lifting his own drink to clink with hers. "For a moment there, I thought you had a chance with him."

Margaretta quickly skulled her drink. "For a moment there, so did I." Rolf didn't reply but signalled for the barmaid to refill both their drinks. She left the bottle with them.

As they finished their drinks again, Rolf moved closer to her. He ran one finger up and down her arm seductively. "You know, my offer still stands. My room isn't too far away."

Margaretta looked at him intently, deciding what to do. _Sure, he wasn't quite what she'd had in mind that evening and he was a little sleazy. But perhaps sleazy was what she needed after the night she'd had._ Her lips curled upwards in a small smile. "Lead the way to this room of yours," she purred holding out her arm for Rolf to take it. "And bring the bottle with you."

 _A/N: Well Rolf and Margaretta.. who would have thought it? Will Georg find Maria and will Margaretta realise Rolf is a complete tool? Stay tuned to find out! Please review!_


	8. Chapter 8

**The Lonely Goatherd – Chapter 8**

Maria's eyes stung as she fled the tavern. She had been so full of hope that when she'd arrive at _The Lonely Goatherd_ , Georg would return her feelings of love but she hadn't expected to walk in to see him in another woman's arms – her friend's arms to make matters worse, and kissing her.

Maria was crushed and she felt like a fool for believing that Georg cared about her. She was angry, not only with him and her supposed friend, but mainly with herself – for allowing herself to believe that perhaps Georg loved her back. All she knew was that she wanted to run away from her hurt and pain, and from him. With her vision burred with tears, Maria barely even registered that her feet were carrying her towards the beach.

XxXxXxXxXx

Georg burst out of the front door out onto the deserted street. He spun around wildly as he shrugged his jacket on looking for some sign of where Maria had gone. He couldn't see her anywhere and with a deep regret, he realised that he was too late and she was gone. His heart sank at the thought of not being able to find her and make things right between them. Just as he was deciding which direction he was going to continue his search in, he heard a sound of a garbage bin being knocked over down the street in the direction of the beach. As he looked up, he spied a small figure with her skirt billowing out behind her disappear around the corner. Taking a deep breath, Georg ran after her.

As he arrived at the corner, Maria had already crossed the street and was now on the beach, the moonlight shining off her golden hair. As she tried to run across the soft sand, Georg saw her stumble several times until she tripped over her feet completely and landed on her knees. But instead of getting up straight away, Maria sank onto her bottom; her skirt flaring out around her and wept loudly, her head in her hands.

Hurrying across the street and following her onto the beach, Georg called out to her. "Maria!"

Her head immediately snapped up and she turned around. Maria stared at him for a moment in surprise, tears streaked down her cheeks before she squeezed her eyes shut and she shook her head, as if to say no. Then she sprang to her feet and continued to run down the beach away from him, stumbling every few steps.

Panicking that he was going to lose her once again, Georg ran after her. "Maria!" he called out again.

Maria slowed down and turned around to face him. "Go away!" she yelled, taking a few clumsy steps backwards. "Haven't you done enough to hurt me?"

"Maria, stop! I'm sorry!" Georg shouted back, catching up to her. "Please!" He attempted to grab her arm as she tried to side step him but the soft sand beneath her made her lose her footing and Maria fell down taking Georg with her. He landing on top of her and immediately Maria tried to wriggle free from his grasp and get up but Georg pinned her arms down.

"Maria, please listen to me," he pleaded urgently. She was angry with him, but his eyes showed such a genuine sincerity that she knew she had to listen to him. Maria stopped squirming, silently giving him permission him to speak.

"I've made so many mistakes in my life and I know I made another one tonight. I didn't realise that… I didn't _know_ that when Margaretta asked me to dance tonight that she was going to kiss me. Please believe me when I tell you that I feel _nothing_ for her…" At his words, Maria squeezed her eyes shut, her body shaking slightly with emotion. A single tear rolled down her cheek.

"How can I even _look_ at her, when I'm in love with someone else?" He let go of one of her arms and tenderly wiped the tear from her cheek. "It's you, and only you that I want."

Cupping her cheek with his hand, he leant down and lightly grazed his lips over hers, kissing her. "I love you Maria," he whispered.

The sensation of his kiss sent tiny tingles all through her body. It was magical! Maria lay motionless underneath him, barely believing his admission of love. Maria opened her eyes to see Georg gazing back at her with such love and tenderness that any hurt and anger she'd felt towards him before suddenly vanished. She let out a deep sigh of relief and her face relaxed into a small smile. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. "Oh, can this be happening to me?" she murmured as Georg claimed her lips in another kiss.

The kiss was soft, sensual and full of passion. Opening her mouth slightly, the kiss deepened as Georg enveloped her body in his arms. Georg smiled against her lips as he heard Maria whisper over and over again how much she loved him too. His senses heightened, Georg tried to imprint everything about these first kisses into his memory forever. From the warmness of her mouth and the way she moved her tongue slowly against his, to the feeling her soft body underneath his own and even way her fingertips moved lazily through his hair then down the back of his neck, continually drawing his face closer to hers.

He could hear the faint music still playing at _The Lonely Goatherd_ and the sounds of the waves crashing down on the beach behind them, but none of those sounds even registered in Georg's mind as he was far too focused on listening to the soft moans and contented sighs his love was making as he kissed her over and over. Prying his lips from hers, Georg moved his kisses down her neck to gently suck on the soft skin there. Maria tilted her head back and let out a deep sigh, relishing the sensation of everything he was doing to her.

Her mind was racing. After fleeing the tavern, she would have never believed that only minutes later, her Captain would be lying on top of her, kissing her passionately and whispering words of love and adoration. She wondered what she could have possibly done in her unhappy childhood that had made her deserve this man and his love. Her head filled with the most glorious melody of music.

As Georg slowly caressed and kissed her neck, he paused for a moment to listen as her soft moans and contented sighs changed to sound like she was humming some sort of tune. He moved his head to gaze down into her face. "Maria?" he asked in a hushed whisper. "Are you about to sing a song when I'm trying to kiss you?"

At once, Maria's eyes shot open and she felt her face burning red. "Oh, I was just thinking about…" she stammered, a little embarrassed. "There was music in my head..." she sighed with a smile. "A delightful little song about how I must have done something good to deserve you."

Georg chuckled. "Well, it sounds lovely, it really does. And perhaps you could sing it for me another time, and who knows, I might even join in with my own verse." He winked. "But right now," he playfully punctuated his words by kissing her quickly after each one, "all I want for now is just to kiss you."

"Yes sir!" Maria replied, giving him a mock salute. They both laughed before kissing again.

Maria lost track of how long they lay on the beach together kissing and touching each other. Each kiss seemed to ignite her body with fire. Then the way his fingertips brushed over her face to then travel down her body to lightly caress the sides of her breasts and land on her hips made her stomach lurch and flip several times. From the way his body moved over hers in order to kiss her more deeply as they lay together to how Georg then rolled onto his back and pulled her on top of him, kissing her passionately and caressing her body tenderly, his wandering hands moving from her breasts then down past her bottom to lightly stroke the tops of her thighs from underneath her dress.

She loved the gentle intimacy of kissing and touching him without it leading to anything more, although Maria could sense how quickly their romantic encounter could escalate into something _much_ more if they were somewhere more private. Part of her was glad that they were in such a public place being out on the beach so nothing more could happen between them. And yet she felt a deep curiosity to know and experience more with him, to take things further – to rid his body of his clothing and to satisfy the hunger and desire that he was stirring inside her.

Maria hoped those things would come in time if her relationship with Georg developed into something more _official_ but for the time being, she was just content enjoying every moment she was spending with him.

Finally, as time went on and the sounds of the music from _The Lonely Goatherd_ died down, their kissing slowed somewhat and they began to talk.

"Do you know when I first started loving you?" Georg asked her, sitting up and pulling her up with him. Maria shook her head. "That night at _The Lonely Goatherd_ when you sat on that ridiculous pinecone." He burst into laughter in memory.

"What?" Maria laughed too, thinking back to her embarrassing moment. She was amazed that Georg had loved her for so long.

"I suppose I should say I knew the first time I saw you blow that silly whistle," she said with a smile. "But to be honest, I _didn't_ know then just how much I love you." Maria took his hands as she spoke. "When we first met, you were so baffling. It was like a crazy world, full of crazy contradictions. First you were driving me wild and then you won my heart with your wicked art. However, while one minute you were tender and gentle, the next you were temperamental as a summer storm. And just when I believed your heart was getting warmer, you were cold, and you were cruel. But I, like a fool, tried to cope, tried to hang on to hope." She wiped away the tear that had formed in the corner of her eye.

Georg felt remorseful that he'd put Maria through all of that. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. "I'm glad you did try Maria, glad you hung onto that hope, had hope in me that I could change." Georg lowered his eyes and nodded faintly. "You're right, I was a mess – I am _still_ such a mess, but I am trying to get myself sorted out. Maria, you've given me so much to live for, but I am still complicated and perplexing, I know. Nothing about me is simple. Sometimes I wonder that if you got to know me better that you wouldn't like me very much."

"No, I disagree," replied Maria. "It's the opposite, actually. The more I get to know you, the more I like you, or love you I should say, and the more I want to get to know you and be a part of your life."

Georg raised his eyes to look into hers. He leant forward and kissed her tenderly. "Good. I want that too," he said. "Now shall we get to know each other better now?" he asked. Maria nodded. Georg stood up and pulled Maria to her feet. "Let's go for a walk," he suggested.

Maria didn't know how long they walked for along the beach. Holding hands, they talked as they walked and occasionally they stopped to kiss again. Each kiss was all consuming, intoxicating, like fire pulsing through their veins, leaving both of them breathless at the end of the kiss. Now that they'd both finally admitted their feelings, there was no more awkwardness between them – the words and the conversation just flowed. Georg apologised once again for what had happened back at _The Lonely Goatherd_ with Margaretta and they both had a laugh about their mutual miscommunication about how they were only ever going to be 'just friends' when clearly they both felt and wanted more. But they agreed and were thankful that their friendship gave them a solid foundation for their new budding romantic relationship.

Both Maria and Georg knew they should call it a night and get Maria back to the hospital before Sister Berthe discovered she had missed her curfew, but both of them didn't quite want their romantic night to end, especially knowing that Georg was leaving Pola in the morning.

Despite the night being warm and balmy, a light breeze had whipped up over the water and Maria started to shiver. Georg gave Maria his coat and they found a secluded part of the beach out of the wind to sit together and just snuggle as they watched the waves crashing down on the sand and the stars moving across the sky above.

The last thing Maria recalled was laying her head on Georg's chest and closing her eyes…

XxXxXxXxXxXx

Maria started to stir. Still with her eyes closed, she could hear the sounds of the waves hitting the beach and sea gulls flying nearby. She lay on her side and the sand beneath her felt cold and hard, but the arm wrapped protectively around her middle was warm and comforting.

Just as she was starting to wake more, she felt warm breath on the back of her neck and the sensation of light, gentle kisses just behind her ear. She sighed and relaxed into Georg's warm embrace, enjoying the sensation of his early morning kisses as her eyes fluttered open. It felt completely natural to wake in his arms. The sun had barely risen and the sky was still tingled orange and yellow with the rays of golden sun. She rolled half onto her back and pointed her chin in Georg's direction and was rewarded with a sensual kiss.

"Good morning," he murmured through their kiss as his lips sought hers again.

"Mmmm…" Maria sighed sleepily as they kissed again until the shocking realisation hit her: It was morning. They'd stayed out all night.

At once Maria's eyes flew wide open and she was wide-awake. She sat upright. "We stayed out all night," she cried in a panic. "Oh my goodness!" Maria slapped one hand to her forehead. "Sister Berthe is going to kill me!" Maria began to scramble to her feet but Georg grabbed her hand and pulled her back down.

"Wait! If Sister Berthe is going to kill you anyway, you may as well spend another minute here."

But Maria shook her head. "No, Georg, you don't understand. I'll be waxing and kissing floors for the next _year_ if she catches me coming back to the hospital now."

"Maria, don't panic. I'll get you back to the hospital undetected all right. And I'll handle Sister Berthe for you. Trust me." Maria bit her lip and nodded. Georg raised her fingertips to his lips and kissed them. "Let's go," he said.

They walked back along the beach together, hand in hand. As they walked, Maria wriggled her shoulders and used her free hand to give her neck a rub. "Ugh," she groaned. "Whoever said sleeping on sand is comfortable is clearly wrong. My neck is so sore!"

"I'm sorry," replied Georg, who stopped walking to give Maria a quick shoulder massage. "Better?" he asked. Maria nodded as they continued their journey back to the hospital.

"Well," Georg began somewhat casually. "Next time we spend the night together, I promise you it'll be in a big, warm and soft bed."

At the mention of sharing a bed with Georg, Maria stopped in her tracks. "You, ah, want me in your bed?" she asked shyly. Georg turned to her and gave her such a look of desire that it was clear what is answer was. "What do you think?" he replied, his voice low and husky.

"Yes," she breathed, feeling her heart begin to race as all sorts of images of her Captain naked above her and claiming her as his own filled her head.

Georg didn't reply but quickly claimed her lips in yet another all consuming kiss that left Maria breathless. As he pulled away, he said nothing to her but just took her hand again and they continued to walk silently back to the hospital.

But after a few minutes, Georg broke the silence. "You know Maria, I'm not going to lie to you. I have been with other women, leading the sailor's life – one-night stands and that sort of thing. But that's not what I want from you, I want more than that. My intentions are honourable, trust me." He stopped and turned to face her. "I want to marry you," Georg stated somewhat bluntly.

Maria's eyes widened, half in surprise, half in shock as he clarified his statement. "I, uh, _ask_ you to marry me." Maria stared at him open-mouthed, still in a state of shock. "So will you, Maria?" he asked again. "Will you marry me?"

There was no doubt in Maria's mind to what her answer was to be. A broad smile spread across Maria's face and she answered yes. Her heart leapt with joy as Georg kissed her then embraced her. As they parted, Maria let out a little laugh. "Well, you certainly took me by surprise."

Georg shrugged. "I suppose one thing I've learnt through the past year at war is that you can't take anything for granted. I once did, and I almost lost it all. Maria, by not acting earlier on my feelings, I almost lost you too last night. I'm not going to make the same mistake again. I love you and I want us to be together."

"I want us to be together too," replied Maria softly, a blush rising to her face. All sorts of provocative thoughts about making love to Georg filled her head. Seeing the blush on her face, Georg gave her a wicked smirk and Maria had a sneaking suspicion that he was thinking along the same lines as her. They kissed again before Georg motioned that they should continue making their way back to the hospital.

"But one thing, Maria," Georg said as they walked. "I want to wait to marry until the war is over."

"Wait?"

"Yes," Georg sighed. "I've seen a lot of horrible things during this war. Good men killed indiscriminately. War doesn't care whether a soldier is single or married – it just kills. I don't want you to be waiting for me, or to become a widow if anything were to happen to me…"

"But nothing will…" Maria began to interrupt.

"But it may," Georg insisted firmly. "I lost a lot of good men when the _Agathe_ sank and next time, that could be me." He stopped and gently ran his hand through her golden hair. "You're young and beautiful. I don't want you wasting your life grieving for me if anything were to happen."

Maria shook her head. "Married or not, I would grieve for you if anything were to happen to you. You're part of me now. I love you Georg and I'm not sure I want to wait to be married. This war could go on forever, _and_ I'm not that patient," she giggled and gave him a wink.

He chuckled. "Well, how about we discuss wedding dates next time I'm in town?" Georg said as they crossed the final street to stand outside the door leading to the nurse's quarters of the hospital. He narrowed his eyes for a moment, like he was in deep thought about something, and then he patted his shirt and pants pockets down before letting out a deep sigh. "Well, I haven't planned this very well – I don't even have a ring to give you."

"That's all right," replied Maria as she noticed Georg glancing down at his own hand. He wore a signet ring on the pinkie finger of his left hand. Giving the ring a few big tugs, he took it off and handed it to her. "I will get you your own ring, but until then, will you accept this?"

Maria slid it on her finger, but it was too big. She tried several other fingers, as well as her thumb but the ring was too massive for her slender fingers. "Oh Georg, I can't wear this," she cried in dismay. "It'll fall off and I'll lose it."

"Hmm…" Georg grunted as he thought. Then he spied a thin, gold chain around Maria's neck that had a small crucifix hanging from it. "How about this?" he asked as he reached behind her neck, undid the clasp, slid the chain through the ring, then re-did the clasp up so that his signet ring now hung on the chain just hovering above the cleft of her breasts.

Maria beamed. "Perfect. I'll keep this with me always."

There was an awkward silence as now they were back at the hospital, it was time for them to say goodbye to each other, but both didn't want that moment to come just yet. They held each other in a long embrace before Maria pulled away. She took off Georg's jacket, which she was still wearing, and returned it to him. As he slid it on, he could faintly detect the smell of her perfume lingering on the coat.

"I should go," she whispered.

"Will you be all right?" Georg asked. Maria opened the door to the nurse's quarters and peered inside. The corridor was dark. She nodded. "It doesn't look like anyone is up and about yet. I should be able to just sneak inside without Sister Berthe finding out I stayed out all night long."

"I hope you don't get into trouble."

Maria laughed low. "Oh, I _always_ seem to be in trouble. I'm fairly certain Sister Berthe thinks I'm either a flibbertijibbet, a will-o'-the wisp or a clown – a problem she needs to solve, or something like that," Maria smiled before she tenderly patted Georg's arm. "Don't worry, I'll be all right, I'll just miss you that's all."

"I'll miss you too," he replied. "I love you, Maria."

"I love you too, Georg," she whispered back as Georg drew her close and kissed her deeply. Maria clung to him as she kissed him back.

They were so engrossed in each other that they didn't notice the shadowy form of Margaretta sneak in the door to the nurse's quarters behind them. Her dress was torn and her lip was split and bruised. Margaretta paused momentarily to watch the couple kiss. She knew when the Captain had run out of the tavern the night before that he would eventually find Maria and they would end up together. But seeing them kissing in front of her was like a stab through the heart. Margaretta had thought that she could forget about the Captain by having a night to remember with Rolf. But her many bruises and the soreness between her legs, not to mention the memories of Rolf's cruelty, made Margaretta wish that she could forget about her night with him forever.

She slipped quietly inside the hospital and to her room. Minutes later, Margaretta heard Maria tiptoe inside as well and as Margaretta got into bed, she began to cry.

 _A/N: Still more to come. Please review and let me know what you think. Also, I'll have a new story coming over the next few days. Look out for it!_


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Sorry everyone. I just realised how long it has been since I'd updated this story since I've been focused on my other new story "When The Lord Closes A Door" (please check it out if you haven't already!). Lots more to come of both stories. Please review!_

 **The Lonely Goatherd – Chapter 9**

Two months had passed and Maria hadn't seen Georg once. At times she found herself wondering whether her incredible night with Georg on the beach had just been a dream until the sensation of his signet ring on her chain hanging against her chest reassured her that that night did indeed happen and that her Captain loved her and wanted to marry her. The thought of marrying him as soon as the war was over filled Maria's heart with joy. But for some reason, she felt very protective of her new engagement, preferring to keep the news quiet.

She told Elsa, of course, and Sister Berthe who were both extremely happy and pleased for her. The only other person she told was Sophia who was overjoyed at her news, but refrained from celebrating too much with Maria in consideration for Margaretta. After Margaretta's antics that night at _The Lonely Goatherd_ with her dancing and kissing Georg, there was an awkwardness between her and Maria. While Margaretta had muttered an apology to Maria for the way she'd behaved with Georg the day after, there was something still unresolved between the two women. Sophia felt very much in the middle of her two friends, not wanting to take sides or show too much favouritism to either one.

Maria had noticed that since that night, Margaretta had retreated into herself. She looked sullen, depressed and rarely spoke anymore. She also had stopped sneaking out at night to meet up with the many sailors she'd met since their time in Pola. While Maria wanted to know what was going on with Margaretta, the tension between them meant that she wasn't in a position to ask and find out more. Therefore Sophia ended up being the go-between for the first little while until Sophia ended up spending most of her spare time with Margaretta, rather than Maria. Sophia had apologised to Maria saying that it seemed like Margaretta needed her more, although Sophia had no idea herself what had caused the change in Margaretta.

With the feeling that she's lost her two closest friends at the hospital, Maria was lonely. Of course Maria saw Elsa regularly at _The Lonely Goatherd_ but the person she missed most was Georg. Until he'd left, she hadn't realised how much time they'd been spending together over the month he was in Pola before his departure. She missed their conversations and his company. Maria realised that he had become her best friend in more ways than one. But not only that, she kept replaying their night together on the beach in her head. The feeling of his lips and his body pressed against hers as they kissed on the beach, the touch of his hands on her body and the memory of them waking together as the sun rose. Remembering the look on his face as he told her how he wanted her in his bed gave her stomach-lurching thoughts of them one day becoming lovers. Maria caught herself blushing several times as her mind wandered to provocative thoughts of Georg during her regular duties at the hospital and she had to keep reminding herself to snap out of it and focus on the task at hand.

She missed him and it seemed like a long wait for him to return. But then one day, the letters from Georg started arriving. Maria was initially surprised when the first one came but after that, she began to look forward to the weekly mail knowing that something from Georg would be in there for her. His letters were wonderful and thoughtful. Not overly romantic, however, but he'd ask her how she was and what she'd been doing, then he would write a bit about what he'd been up to lately before telling her how much he missed her and loved her.

She admired his elegant writing script: the letters formed perfectly and neatly, which made herself feel quiet self-conscious about her own handwriting: large and loopy letters that always ended up looking rather messy on the page. Nonetheless, after receiving each letter, Maria would write faithfully back, although she had no idea where to send the mail back to since Georg appeared to be in a different port each and every time he wrote to her. Therefore she just kept all her letters written back to him together in a brown paper package tied up with string hoping one day he'd return so that she'd be able to give them to him in person.

Another couple of weeks past and it was a day like much the others. More ships had come into port but Maria hadn't bothered to check whether any of them were Georg's as she'd had a busy morning at the hospital. Sister Berthe had given Maria more and more tasks to do especially since Margaretta was apparently sick and so Maria had been rushed off her feet.

She had just finished taking one of the patient's temperatures when she turned around and saw Georg standing in the doorway to the ward.

"Georg…" she breathed before an instant later she flew across the room and into his arms. She hugged him tight, barely believing he was finally back. Georg buried his face into her nook of the neck, drinking in the scent of her perfume and relishing in the sensation of her soft body in his arms.

"Oh you're back! I've missed you so much," Maria exclaimed as they finally pulled apart. They smiled at each other and gazing deeply into each other eyes like no one else in the world existed. But a cough from the other side of the room brought them both back to reality and Maria let out an embarrassed giggle realising that a ward full of patients had witnessed their public display of affection.

Georg took her arm, pulling her gently towards the door. "Maria, perhaps we should…"

"Y-yes," replied Maria, the word stumbling out of her mouth as she tried to avoid the interested looks and wolf-whistles that had started coming from several of the sailors in their hospital beds.

"Somewhere more private I think," Georg suggested.

Maria nodded as they left the ward and entered the hallway. Maria led Georg down the hall until they got to the nurse's lounge. Georg cast his eyes around the room. With the broad glass windows overlooking the main hallway and several nurses coming and going in and out of the room, it was hardly the private place that he desired.

He gently stopped Maria as she began to enter the lounge and leant in close to her so that he could whisper in her ear. "Uh, Maria… I'd hoped we could go somewhere _more_ private…"

Maria blinked several times as his words sank in and as she looked at him, the piecing look of desire from Georg was enough to make her stomach lurch several times. She paused for a moment, trying to think about where they could go to be alone before they both simultaneously suggested: "supply closet?"

Maria let out a little giggle and refrained from yelling "jinx" like a little child would have after they'd both said the same thing at the same time. Instead, she turned in the other direction and they began making their way to the supply closet.

Of course the nurse's lounge _had_ to be on the complete other side of the hospital to the supply closet so Maria knew they had several _painful_ minutes of walking before that would get there. Trying to maintain an air of decorum, it took all of Maria's will power _not_ to grab Georg's hand and make a run for it. As it was, there were so many people about the hospital that they both had to make it less than obvious where they were going and why. So they walked slowly side-by-side not even touching or looking at each other in order to disguise what their true motives were, and as they did, the sexual tension between them was simmering.

Finally they got to the supply closet and Maria had a quick look inside to check that Sister Berthe wasn't hiding in there ready to catch them out. She gestured quickly with her head for Georg to come inside too and when she closed the door behind him, they were plunged into darkness.

It didn't matter for in less than a microsecond, they were in each other's arms kissing passionately. With the darkness spurring them on, deep, hungry, wild and passionate kisses were shared – too many to count. His hands roamed frantically over her body like he couldn't get enough of her while Maria let her instincts take over allowing her fingertips to roam down past his chest to his trousers then to pull his shirt out from his waistband in order to feel his hot skin underneath. These were not the sweet, innocent kisses they'd shared that night on the beach, but something more deep and lustful. The thought of acting so bold and wanton hardly even crossed Maria's mind as all she wanted was him. Georg moaned into her mouth as his hand found her breast and they both stumbled backwards until Maria's back crashed into one of the shelving units in the closet. However, she barely noticed as Georg pressed his body hard against hers and all she could sense was how much he desired her.

Maria gasped as Georg mouthed hot, wet kisses down her neck while his wandering hands found their way up under her dress to her backside, urging her body closer to his. She felt a burning urge of desire between her legs, like there was something unknown she wanted and needed – and that something she could only get from him. Her lips found his again as they began to kiss passionately once more until…

BAM!

The supply closet was suddenly filled with light as the door was opened. Maria let out a yelp as she recognised the silhouetted form of Sister Berthe standing at in the doorway. Maria quickly tried to disentangle herself from Georg with an explanation waiting on her lips, but to Maria's surprise, the elderly matron said nothing, but strode straight past them both and retrieved several bottles of medicine from the shelves at the back of the closet. Continuing to ignore the couple, Sister Berthe walked back past them towards the door.

It was only when she reached the door, Sister Berthe stopped and called back to them: "There is certain level of behaviour that I demand from all my nurses and I would be horrified to think that anything _untoward_ is going on in here between you two," she paused. "Now, I expect you back at work in five minutes, Maria." Maria stared at her open-mouthed as the matron added, "Oh, and welcome back, Captain. I think we both know how much Maria has missed you." Maria could have sworn she saw a smirk on the old lady's face as the door closed behind her.

Immediately Georg let out a laugh as Maria flicked the light on in the closet. "Oh dear," he chuckled with a wicked smirk on his face. "Caught, it seems!"

Maria clapped one hand over her mouth and closed her eyes, not sure whether she wanted to laugh too or just die of humiliation. But finally she laughed along with Georg. "I really thought we were going to get more of a roasting from her," she said through her laughter as she clung onto him.

"Well, we were in quite a compromising position," added Georg glancing down at their dishevelled appearance: his shirt untucked and half unbuttoned and Maria's dress pulled up partway up to her waist. Maria's lips were red and swollen from so much kissing.

"Oh, I don't know what came over me," cried Maria, feeling embarrassed at her actions. She was a little panicked that their romantic reunion had escalated to being so physical so quickly. At once she pulled down her skirt and began to straighten her nurse's uniform, smoothing out the creases in her dress.

"I guess the same thing that came over me," Georg replied with a smirk, hastily tucking his shirt back in. Maria looked at him surprised that he didn't seem as bothered about their passionate encounter as much as she was. He merely shrugged like it was the most normal thing in the world for a man and a woman to get swept away by their emotions. "You're a great kisser," he told her. "And I've missed you Maria." He reached up and stroked her cheek affectionately.

"I missed you too Georg. Two and a half months is a long time."

"I know," he said as he opened the door, stepping back to let Maria leave the closet first. "Too long. We've got so much to catch up on. I know you have to get back to work right now, but would you meet me at _The Lonely Goatherd_ for dinner tonight?"

Maria nodded. "Of course. I can't wait to talk properly with you. Letters just weren't enough."

"Oh, you got the letters then?" Georg enquired. "You never know about the mail, especially during war times."

"I did, yes," Maria thanked him before she gasped and slapped one hand over her mouth like she'd just forgotten something.

"What is it?" asked Georg.

"Can you wait here a moment?" Maria asked him urgently. Georg nodded and in a flash Maria had disappeared down the corridor, around the bend and out of sight.

Georg waited patiently for several minutes during which a couple of nurses past him on their way to the supply closet. They stopped, looked him over then giggled before continuing on their way. Georg wondered what on earth they were laughing about until he realised that he'd forgotten to re-fasten the buttons on his shirt and the middle portion of his shirt was flapping open slightly.

He had just finished fixing his shirt when Maria rushed back like a whirlwind completely out of breath and she pressed a brown paper package tied up with string into his hands. "Just because I didn't know where to send them, doesn't mean I didn't write back," she explained with a shy smile as she gasped for air.

Just then Sister Berthe appeared out of one of the nearby wards and cleared her throat loudly. Maria knew she had pushed her luck with the elderly matron enough for one day and it was time to get back to work.

Quickly she reached up and gave Georg a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you tonight," she whispered and then she was gone.


	10. Chapter 10

**The Lonely Goatherd – Chapter 9**

 ** _A/N: Sorry for the delay - it's a bit hard juggling the time to update two long and involved stories. Thanks everyone for the support and encouragement for both this story and "When The Lord Closes A Door". Hope you all like this update. Please review!_**

Later that night, Maria and Georg were seated together at a quiet table out of the way at _The Lonely Goatherd_. It had been hard to find somewhere private for them to be alone as the tavern was a buzz of excitement that night and full of people. So many ships had come back to port and all the men were looking for a night out to relax and forget about the war. Maria even spied Margaretta, supposedly recovered from her recent sickness, on the other side of the tavern with a young, tall blond man. However, Margaretta still looked unwell and extremely unhappy as she spoke to the young man, but Maria barely even pondered why as all of her thoughts were being devoted to Georg.

He'd placed the menus upright on the other side of the table to give them at least a bit of privacy away from the prying eyes of his men. Georg had learnt that sailors were almost worse than women when it came to gossip and there had already been a certain number of whispers around his ship about him and a certain nurse who he'd chased after she'd run out of tavern the last time they were in port. And also being in such a public place like _The Lonely Goatherd_ meant that there was no opportunity for stolen kisses or any sort of open affection without them drawing attention to themselves. Still, Georg sat as close to Maria as he could, his hand holding hers underneath the table, the pad of his thumb casually moving over her knuckles.

They'd been there just over an hour and had talked almost non-stop since they'd sat down. Maria had forgotten how easy it was to talk to him. She looked adoringly at Georg as he became all animated when telling her an amusing story about an incident that had happened at one of the ports that they'd stopped at during their time away at sea. Maria laughed heartedly along with him then sighed as she reflected on how changed he'd become since they'd met just over 6 months earlier. No longer was he the solemn and serious man that she'd first encountered; no, he had now relaxed and opened up and slowly he was revealing a new side to him to her: one with a witty sense of humour and a bit of sass.

"You've got so many interesting stories to tell since you've been away," she remarked. "Practically nothing has happened to me since you've been gone. I'm so boring!"

"Not boring at all," Georg reassured her. "And from your letters, it sounded like you've been pretty busy at the hospital."

"My letters? You read them then?"

"I think I've read each one at least a dozen times," Georg told her sheepishly, looking a little like a nervous schoolboy about to ask his first crush on a date. Maria even thought she detected the faintest of blushes rising to his cheeks. She was glad he'd missed as much as she's missed him.

"Writing back kept me from missing you too much," Maria told him sincerely.

Georg squeezed her hand gently under the table. "Well, I'm back now – at least for the moment, that is."

"How long will you be in Pola for?"

"Not sure," Georg absently rubbed his chin. "Several weeks I'm guessing. There are certain repairs we need to make to the ship and restocking supplies, that sort of thing." Maria smiled. She was pleased that Georg would be with her for a decent amount of time, especially after he'd been away so long.

At that moment, the meals that they had ordered earlier that evening arrived and they continued to chat as they ate their dinner. "Although," Georg said, "Zeller seems keen to get back out to sea as soon as possible. Things are slowly turning away from us in the favour of the enemy and so he doesn't want to spend too much time in port."

"I see," Maria's face fell.

"But I think it's a mistake," Georg continued. "The men need to rest and recuperate if they are going to be efficient at their duty and a ship badly in need of repair would be disastrous out on the ocean. There doesn't seem a point to rushing things more than necessary."

"But why do it?" Maria asked.

Georg put down his knife and fork and stared for a moment at the ceiling, clicking his tongue against his teeth. Then his flicked his eyes back to Maria. "I think he's scared of losing control," he stated bluntly. "He's always aspired to be in a position of power and authority I can sense that he'll do whatever he needs to maintain his position in the Navy. While Zeller was promoted to Commander, there was so much chaos, mutiny and drama with all the business with the _Agathe_ there are still questions being asked about his role in the entire incident. Then course with myself being decorated for bravery and placed in command, well…"

"You think he's threatened by you?"

"Perhaps," Georg surmised with a sigh.

"But you're still under his orders?"

"Yes, unfortunately I am. I do, however, do my best to tactfully avoid them, where possible though," he flashed Maria a wicked grin. "But having said that, Zeller is a dangerous man to have as an enemy so I have to be careful. Strategic. That's what it is. I have a certain amount of authority of my own and I suppose I pick my battles for the rest of it."

Maria ran one hand along Georg's arm. "Well I just want you to be careful."

He smiled. "I'll do my best."

"Good, because I can't have anything happen to you," she grinned. "Remember, you did promise me a wedding once the war is over."

Georg leaned back in his chair, resting his free arm casually over the back. "I did, didn't I?" he chuckled. "I guess that is one upside of the war possibly coming to an end sooner rather than later. I really can't wait to marry you." He gave her such a look of adoration mixed with lust that she immediately blushed.

"Well, why don't we get married as soon as we can?" Maria asked slowly, trying not to let her voice quiver that would show the effect he was having on her.

Georg sat forward in his chair and leant so close to her that he could whisper in her ear. "Maria, I want you so badly that I'd like nothing better than to beat down the door of the first priest I could come upon and force him to marry us immediately." Maria felt her whole body tingle with anticipation as he spoke. "However," Georg continued more seriously. "I need to keep a straight head about this. I do still believe that waiting until after the war is the best thing for us in the long run. And then we can do it properly – a grand wedding back in Salzburg at Nonnberg Abbey with hundreds of guests packed into the church lining the aisle as you walk down to meet me, dressed in an exquisite white dress with a veil that goes on for meters and meters."

Maria felt a little deflated hearing that he still wanted to wait to be married but she tried to crack a smile. "Hundreds of guests?" she laughed low. "I'm not sure I know that many people."

"Don't worry. I know a few people. That's the benefit of being an aristocrat: always knowing a huge array of nameless people to invite to balls and weddings just to fill up seats." He chuckled at his own joke but when he saw the downcast look on Maria's face, he stopped. "Darling," he stroked her hand. "I know it's hard, but please trust me."

"I do, but…"

Before Maria could finish what she was going to say, at that moment she was interrupted by whoops and cheering coming from the other side of the tavern. Maria looked over to see Elsa arriving, dazzling dressed in sparkling red twirling and spinning as the many sailors swarmed around her trying to greet her and kiss her hand. Georg seemed unperturbed by the spectacle and merely resumed eating his dinner. As Elsa disappeared into the swarm of sailors, Maria returned to her dinner as well, their previous conversation seemingly forgotten.

It was only as they were both finishing their meals; Elsa slinked over to their table. "Georg, darling," she crooned, still a little breathless from all the male attention she'd been receiving. "It's so good to see you."

"Elsa," he replied as Elsa planted a wet kiss on his cheek. "How are you?"

"Fine, darling," she breathed as she fanned herself with her hand.

He looked her up and down as Elsa perched herself up on the edge of the table, crossing her legs in such a way that the split on the shirt of her dress fell open to reveal her shapely legs underneath. "Wearing red again, I see?" he remarked dryly.

"Oh Georg," Elsa dismissed him with a bright laugh and a wave of her hand. "You of all people should know that I only ever wear red… and sometimes very, very dark pink," she added as an afterthought.

Georg threw his hands up in the air in mock defeat. "Of course, how silly of me." Maria giggled listening to Georg's sarcasm.

"Anyway, darling," Elsa gushed enthusiastically. "I just wanted to come over and tell you how happy I was to hear about your engagement. Maria told me."

"Thank you Elsa," Georg replied as Elsa bent over and gave him another kiss on the cheek. The back of Elsa's head blocked Maria's view of her face but as Elsa pulled back, Georg saw the smile fade from her face and Elsa's eyes darken like a shadow passing over them. He frowned, wondering what was going through Elsa's head and he was about to comment on it when the bright smile returned to her face.

"Now," Elsa began brightly as she sat up very straight on her perch, "I have something for the two of you. A little gift, I suppose. My way of offering congratulations." Without batting an eyelid, Elsa plunged her hand down her enormous cleavage and pulled out a key. She placed it on the table in front of them. "My best room. It's yours free of charge for however long you want it." She winked as Maria's mouth fell wide open.

Without waiting for a reply or even a thank you, Elsa slid off the table and slinked back out into the crowd. "Enjoy it, both of you," she called out over her shoulder.

Georg was immediately on his feet. "Elsa, wait!" he cried out after her, but she was gone. Georg huffed to himself in frustration as he sat back down, glancing over at Maria beside him.

Seeing the look of shock and surprise on Maria's face, he tenderly patted her hand. "Ignore Elsa," he instructed. "All she ever thinks about is sex and I suppose she thought she was doing us a favour."

"B-but, b-but…" Maria stammered, hardly knowing what to think.

"Maria," Georg said gently taking her hand. "I meant what I said on the beach that morning about wanting to take you into my bed, but I also told you that my intentions are honourable – we can still wait until we're married if you like." And like he was almost completely untroubled about the entire situation, Georg simply reached for his glass of wine and took a large sip. "There isn't any rush, is there?" He then pushed the key away from them onto the other side of the table and without waiting for her response, he asked, "Now, should we order dessert?"

Maria was flabbergasted that he could remain so _calm_ about having such an offer placed before them. She blinked several times as she tried to sort out all the ridiculous and crazy thoughts that were going through her mind. Of course she had always imagined that she would wait until she was married before sleeping with a man, but yet every time she was with Georg, his kisses and the way his hands caressed her body seemed to stir something inside her that she'd never experienced before. Their night together on the beach, kissing and touching then even earlier that day their passionate embrace in the supply closet seemed to ignite a fire inside her – a burning desire to be with him in _every_ way. Part of her felt petrified about the prospect of them becoming lovers, and yet there was another part of her that was secretly exhilarated by the thought of having him touch her everywhere and make love to her.

But of course Georg was right: there wasn't any rush. Despite her frustration at having to wait to be married until after the war, she knew that there would be plenty of time to enjoy each other after the wedding and do everything _properly_ and nothing untoward, as Sister Berthe would say. _Yes, good decision Maria,_ she silently congratulated herself.

Dessert came however Maria found herself continually distracted. She had begun to regret her decision. She could see the key sitting on the other side of the table and every time she looked at it, she began to imagine what it would be like if only they took the key and went up to that room. Her heart began to race and she could feel the blush spread all over her face as all sorts of inappropriate thoughts raced through her mind.

Georg watched her carefully as he finished his dessert. Maria kept pushing her uneaten dessert around her place aimlessly as her eyes repeatedly flicked over in the direction of the key on the table. "Maria," he remarked with a sigh. "Stop looking at that key."

Maria looked up in surprise. "What?" she stammered, trying to come up with some sort of explanation. "I wasn't, I mean yes I was…" she looked down and began to twist her napkin in her hands as she spoke, the words coming rambling out of her mouth. "But I was just thinking that well, it's so crowded in here and hardly very private and well, perhaps if we went to the room it would give us somewhere where we could, you know, uh… talk."

Georg was finding it hard to remain calm and determined to hold to his decision to wait until after they were married. But he felt all his resolve quickly crumbling away. "Maria," he said so softly that it made the hairs on the back of Maria's neck stand on end. She looked up at him to a look of pure desire on his face. "I think if we went up to that room, the very _last_ thing we'd be doing would be talking."

The burning look in his eyes sent waves of hot and cold washing over her at the same time. The sound of her blood pulsating thundered in her ears and her heart was thumping so hard in her chest that she felt it was going to jump right out of her body. She knew at that moment that she'd changed her mind.

With her eyes never leaving his and fingers trembling slightly, she reached across the table and closed her hand over the key. Georg took her other hand and with a slight screech of the chair legs against the floor as he moved his seat away from the table, he stood up and pulled her to her feet.

Wordlessly, he led her across the room and out the back door. The only person who noticed them leave was Elsa who smiled to herself.


End file.
